Hypocholesterolemic effects
Short term hypolipedemic effects of oral L. sporogenes* therapy (360 million spores per day in tablet form) were studied in 17 patients10 (15 men and 2 women in the 32-61 year age group) with type II hyperlipidemia in an open label fixed dose trial. Total serum cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratios (p < 0.001) was reduced significantly over a period of three months. HDL-cholesterol was marginally increased (43.6±7 mg/dl vs 46.8± 8.9 mg/dl, p < 0.05). there was however no change in serum triglyceride levels. The results are shown in Figure 5.1.
Atherogenic lipid ratios observed were as follows:
LDL / HDL-cholesterol 33.4% decrease
No adverse effects of therapy were noticed, except constipation in one patient, which is not related to the probiotic treatment.
* The taxonomical classification was revised in 1939 in the seventh edition of the Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology to B. coagulans, although some researchers continued to use the original name.