Probiotics can lower cholesterol?

Probiotics are microorganisms that I know are beneficial to ours digestive system. We can find them in yoghurts and dietary supplements. Some people eat them every day, others just before international tripbelieving that these microorganisms help the body to adapt to foreign food and drink. Scientists from Micropharma used a probiotic, which is a specially developed form Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 – this type of bacteria has already shown its beneficial effects on cholesterol levels. They then invited 127 healthy people to join the study, all of whom had high blood cholesterol. About half of them were served Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 twice a day (200 mg), the rest took a placebo.

After 9 weeks it turned out that in the first group the level of bad LDL cholesterol decreased by 11,6% compared to the placebo group. Moreover, cholesterol esters, which are cholesterol molecules attached to fatty acids, were reduced by 6,3%, and cholesterol esters attached to saturated fatty acids decreased by 8,8% in the probiotic-eating group. In conclusion, the participants in the first group experienced total cholesterol reduction by 9,1%. The levels of HDL (called good cholesterol) and blood triglycerides (dangerous forms of fat) remained unchanged.

source: ScienceNews.pl

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