Lactobacillus Effects on Cholesterol: In Vitro and In Vivo Results

Abstract

A double blind investigation was conducted on the influence of a commercially available tablet containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus (Lactinex™, Becton Dickinson Microbiology Systems, Cockeysvile, MD) on human serum lipoprotein concentrations. Tablets containing about 2 × 106 viable bacteria of Lactobacillus mixtures or placebo tablets were ingested by 354 nonfasting informed subjects in a dose of one tablet each, taken four times a day. There was a 3-wk washout period between two 6-wk treatment periods. The number of viable lactobacillus in unused returned tablets was the same at the end of the study as in the beginning. Analysis of paired data using Wilcoxon signed ranks test showed no major effects on lipoprotein concentrations for either the placebo-treated group or the lactobacilli-treated group. There were no statistically significant differences for low density lipoprotein concentrations between the lactobacili-treated group and the placebo-treated group. The high density lipoprotein concentrations increased 1.8 to 3.0 mg/dl in both groups for both study periods. For total cholesterol the placebo-treated group experienced a statistically significant increase in the first period according to the Wilcoxin signed ranks test (from 208.0 to 215.0 mg/dl, P