The fact that millions of people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or
Parkinson’s disease (PD), the two most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), has been
a permanent challenge to science. New tools were developed over the past two decades and
were immediately incorporated into routines in many laboratories, but the most valuable scientific
contribution was the “waking up” of the gut microbiota. Disturbances in the gut microbiota, such as
an imbalance in the beneficial/pathogenic effects and a decrease in diversity, can result in the passage
of undesired chemicals and cells to the systemic circulation. Recently, the potential effect of probiotics
on restoring/preserving the microbiota was also evaluated regarding important metabolite and
vitamin production, pathogen exclusion, immune system maturation, and intestinal mucosal barrier
integrity. Therefore, the focus of the present review is to discuss the available data and conclude what
has been accomplished over the past two decades. This perspective fosters program development of
the next steps that are necessary to obtain confirmation through clinical trials on the magnitude of
the effects of kefir in large samples. CLICK TO REVIEW
Keywords: oxidative stress; inflammation; neurodegenerative diseases; kefir; chronic focal encephalitis;
angiotensin II; autonomic nervous system; gut microbiota