Long-term consumption of fermented dairy products over 6 months increases HDL cholesterol.
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of the hypocholesterolaemic effect of yoghurt supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus 145 and Bifidobacterium longum 913 in women.


METHODS
The cross-over study consisted of three periods (7 weeks each): first period, control yoghurt for all 29 women; second period, probiotic yoghurt for 18 women, control yoghurt for 11 women; third period, the reverse of that in the second period.


METHODS
Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutritional Science, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena.


METHODS
Twenty-nine healthy women, aged 19-56 y. Fifteen of these were normocholesterolaemic and 14 women were hypercholesterolaemic.


METHODS
Yoghurt (300 g) daily containing 3.5% fat and starter cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and L. lactis. Probiotic yoghurt was the control yoghurt enriched with L. acidophilus 145, B. longum 913 and 1% oligofructose (synbiotic).


RESULTS
The mean serum concentration of total cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol was not influenced by the synbiotic (P>0.05). The HDL concentration increased significantly by 0.3 mmol/l (P=0.002). The ratio of LDL/HDL cholesterol decreased from 3.24 to 2.48 (P=0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The long-term daily consumption of 300 g yoghurt over a period of 21 weeks (control and synbiotic) increased the serum concentration of HDL cholesterol and lead to the desired improvement of the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio.
Kiessling
G
G
Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Nutritional Science, Jena, Germany.
Schneider
J
J
Jahreis
G
G
D000328:Adult; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000097:blood; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000178:diet therapy*; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D015014:Yogurt
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D008055:Lipids