Effect of 8 week intake of probiotic milk products on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of a probiotic milk product containing the culture CAUSIDO and of two alternative products on risk factors for cardiovascular disease in overweight and obese subjects. Design: An 8 week randomized, double-blind, placebo- and compliance- controlled, parallel study. Subjects: Seventy healthy, weight-stable, overweight and obese (25.0 <0.05) and fibrinogen increased (0.74±0.32 mmol/1; P <0.05) after 8 weeks in the G-group. This was significantly different from the group consuming chemically fermented yoghurt and the group consuming placebo pills (P <0.05). After 8 weeks, systolic blood pressure was significantly more reduced in the StLa and G-group compared to StLr. No other differences were found. Conclusion: The CAUSIDO® culture reduced LDL-cholesterol and increased fibrinogen in the overweight subjects at a 450 ml consumption daily for 8 weeks. The effect on LDL-cholesterol confirms previous studies. An immunostimulation by one of the strains in the product might explain the effect on fibrinogen in the G-group.