title: Yogurt can beneficially affect blood contributors of cardiovascular health status in hypertensive rats.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease is the single leading cause of death in the world and elevated blood pressure is one of the major independent risk factors. Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme-inhibitors have received considerable attention for their effectiveness in both the prevention and the treatment of hypertension. To confirm the antihypertensive effect, the influence of yogurt- and probiotic yogurt-based diets on the weight gain, serum lipid profile, and blood pressure (BP) were investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (14 wk old). A total of 3 dietary treatments were fed for 8 wk: skim milk diet (Feed-C), skim milk diet supplemented with freeze dried low fat yogurt (Feed-Y), and with freeze dried low-fat probiotic yogurt (Feed-PY). The total weight gain for the 8-wk period was maximum in rats fed Feed-C (90 g) followed by those fed Feed-PY (85.7 g) and Feed-Y (78.7 g), indicating that the overall weight gains were lesser (statistically non-significant) in the groups fed yogurt containing diets. At the end of the feeding period the reduction in systolic BP of rats fed Feed-Y was 3.7% (-9.5 mm Hg) and 2.7% (-6.4 mm Hg) in those fed Feed-PY while reduction in diastolic BP was 30% (-9.4 mm Hg) and 44% (-13.8 mm Hg), respectively, in comparison to those fed Feed-C. The levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol of rats fed the supplemented diets were lower than those fed Feed-C while no changes in the levels of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol were observed. It was concluded that feeding diets supplemented with yogurts exhibited antihypertensive and hypocholesterolemic effects in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science, Victoria Univ., Werribee Campus, P.O. Box 14428, Melbourne, Vic. 8001, Australia.
authors.forename: Lata
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramchandran
authors.forename: Nagendra P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain; D015014:Yogurt / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL