Ataie-Jafari A, Larijani B, Majd H, et al. Cholesterol-lowering effect of probiotic yogurt in comparison with ordinary yogurt in mildly to moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects. Ann Nutr Metab 2009;54:22-27.

Background and Aims

Hypercholesterolemia is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we compared the effect of consuming probiotic yogurt with that of ordinary yogurt on serum cholesterol level in mildly to moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects.

Methods

This randomized and crossover trial included 14 healthy subjects with serum total cholesterol 5.17–7.76 mmol/l. They did not consume yogurt for a 2-week prestudy period and added 300 g/day of milk to their diet. After this period, they were randomly allocated to 2 groups to receive either 300 g of ordinary yogurt or probiotic yogurt (fermented with a starter composed of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis in addition to bacteria in ordinary yogurt) for 6 weeks as a substitution for milk. After a 4-week washout period, the crossover was made and the study lasted for another 6 weeks. Blood lipid tests were done at the beginning and at the end of each period.

Results

Consumption of probiotic yogurt in comparison with ordinary yogurt caused a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol (p < 0.05). Comparison of other blood lipid indices did not show any significant differences between these 2 periods.

Conclusion

Yogurt containing two probiotic bacteria strains, L. acidophilus and B. lactis, had a cholesterol-lowering effect in hypercholesterolemic subjects.

Ejtahed H, Mohtadi-Nia J, Homayouni-Rad A et al. Effect of probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis on lipid profile in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Dairy Sci 2011;94(7):3288-3294.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotic and conventional yogurt on the lipid profile in type 2 diabetic people.

In a randomized double-blind controlled trial, 60 people (23 males and 37 females) with type 2 diabetes and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) greater than 2.6 mmol/L were assigned to 2 groups. Participants consumed daily 300 g of probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 or 300 g of conventional yogurt for 6 wk. Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements and 3-d, 24-h dietary recalls were collected at the baseline and at the end of the trial.

Probiotic yogurt consumption caused a 4.54% decrease in total cholesterol and a 7.45% decrease in LDL-C compared with the control group. No significant changes from baseline were shown in triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the probiotic group. The total cholesterol:HDL-C ratio and LDL-C:HDL-C ratio as atherogenic indices significantly decreased in the probiotic group compared with the control group.

Probiotic yogurt improved total cholesterol and LDL-C concentrations in type 2 diabetic people and may contribute to the improvement of cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Andrade S, Borges N. Effect of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum on plasma lipids of women with normal or moderately elevated cholesterol. J Dairy Res 2009;76:469-474.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus 145 and Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on plasma lipids in a sample of adult women.

A double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over study (two periods of four weeks each separated by a 1-week washout period) was performed in 34 women, aged between 18 and 65 years. Group A consumed 125 g fermented milk three times a day for the first 4 weeks while group B consumed regular yoghurt under the same conditions. (Groups A and B switched products for the second treatment period).

Women taking the test product with a baseline total cholesterol above 190 mg/dl showed a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol was also reduced by the test product.

We conclude that the fermented milk may help to reduce LDL levels in hypercholesterolemic adult women.

Xiao JZ  Kondo S, Takahashi N, et al. Effects of milk products fermented by Bifidobacterium longum on blood lipids in rats and healthy adult male volunteers. J Dairy Sci 2003;86(7):2452-61.

The effects of milk products fermented by Bifidobacterium longum strain BL1, a probiotic strain, on blood lipids in rats and humans were studied.

Rats were fed a cholesterol-enriched experimental diet, supplemented with lyophilized powders of 1) acid milk (control), 2) milk fermented with a mixed culture of ordinary yogurt starters composed of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (SL), and 3) bifidobacterium milk fermented with the probiotic B. longum strain BL1, respectively. The bifidobacterium milk feeding brought about significant lowering of the serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, in comparison with the control, while no change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration was observed. On the other hand, supplementation with SL milk resulted in only slight, nonsignificant decreases in serum lipid concentrations in comparison with the control.

In the human study, 32 subjects with serum total cholesterol ranging from 220 to 280 mg/dl were randomly assigned to two treatments: 1) intake of a low-fat drinking yogurt prepared with ordinary yogurt starters composed of S. thermophilus and L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (P-group) and 2) intake of a low-fat drinking yogurt prepared with the two ordinary yogurt starters plus B. longum strain BL1 (B-group).

After intake for 4 wk at 3 x 100 ml/day, reduction of serum total cholesterol was observed in approximately half of the B-group subjects; a particularly significant decrease in serum total cholesterol was found among subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia (serum total cholesterol > 240 mg/dl). However, the serum lipid concentrations in the P-group subjects were almost stable during the experimental periods. The present results indicate the potential of the probiotic B. longum strain BL1 in serum lipid improvement.

PMID: 12906063