Improving Health Outcomes With Kefir

Inclusion Criteria: 1. females and males (24-70 years old) living in Edmonton (or Edmonton area/driving distance); 2. overweight or obesity (BMI \>25 Caucasian, \>23 Asian); 3. at higher risk of T2D (fasting blood glucose ≥ 5.6 - 6.9 mmol/L or/and HbA1C ≥ 5.5 - 6.4%); or 4. with diagnosis of T2D (fasting blood glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L or/and HbA1C ≥ 6.5%). Exclusion Criteria: 1. a usual high intake (maximum intake 3 servings/week) of fermented foods excluding cheese (i.e., kefir, kombucha, kimchi, etc.) for the past 3 months; 2. gastrointestinal (GI) disorders of any kind; 3. being pregnant or breastfeeding; 4. monogenic dyslipidemias and endocrine disorders except for diabetes; 5. use of medications within the last 3 months (i.e., antibiotics or antifungals, corticosteroids, methotrexate, or immunosuppressive cytotoxic agents); 6. any health conditions deemed to interfere with primary outcomes at the investigator's discretion (e.g., kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, GI surgery, heavy alcohol consumption, etc.); 7. having a pacemaker or any electrical medical device that prevents the individual from undergoing the bioelectrical impedance analysis bioimmunoassay (BIA) test."