The quality of evidence is downgraded by limitations in study quality (unclear allocation concealment and lack of blinding) and by inconsistency (unexplained variability in results).
A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 15 studies with a total of 1 232 subjects. The studies were all placebo-controlled; 4 studies used a cross over design. The length of the studies varied from 4 to 23 weeks.A modest overall effect of fermented milk on systolic blood pressure (SBP) was found (MD -2.45 mmHG, 95% CI -4.30 to -0.60 mmHg), no effect was evident on diastolic blood pressure (DBP; MD -0.67 mmHg, 95% CI -1.48 to 0.14 mmHG). After removing 8 studies with high risk of bias no significant effects were seen as a result of the intervention on neither SBP (MD -0.57 mmHg, 95% CI -3.12 to 1.98) nor DBP (MD -0.39 mmHg, 95% CI -1.78 to 1.01). 24hBP was reported in 5 of the included studies. Meta analysis of the available data from these studies showed no effect on SBP (MD -0.80, 95% CI -2.72 to 1.12) or DBP (MD -0.74, 95% CI -1.67 to 0.20).
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