Research published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (March 2015; Volume 9, Issue 3, Pages KC01–KC04) examined the effects of probiotic supplementation on cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Growing evidence suggests that gut bacteria influence metabolism, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk. The broader relationship between gut microbes and chronic disease is discussed in The Microbiome and Chronic Disease.
This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 70 patients diagnosed with high cholesterol. Participants were assigned to receive either a placebo or a probiotic supplement containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, taken three times daily for six weeks. A total of 64 participants completed the study (31 in the probiotic group and 33 in the placebo group). The two groups were well matched for age, sex, body weight, height, BMI, waist and hip circumference, and blood pressure. Probiotics, in general, support the immune system.
Serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured at baseline and at the end of the six-week intervention. At follow-up, the placebo group showed increases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. In contrast, the probiotic group experienced reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. No significant changes were observed in triglyceride levels or fasting blood glucose in either group.
The researchers concluded that supplementation with a combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum was associated with reductions in serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol over a six-week period, though no effect was seen on triglycerides or fasting glucose.
