Probiotic Capsules Do Not Lower Plasma Lipids in Young Women and Men

Objective: To investigate the effect of probiotic capsules on plasma lipids.

Design: A randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm trial.

Subjects: Fifty-five normocholesterolemic subjects ages 18-36 (33 premenopausal women and 22 men).

Intervention: Each subject consumed either three probiotic capsules each containing a total of 10(9) colony-forming units Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum and 10-15 mg fructo-oligosaccharide or three placebo capsules daily for 2 months (men) or two menstrual cycles (women). Plasma lipids were measured before and following the intervention (during the early follicular phase for women).

Results: Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride were not altered by consumption of probiotic or placebo capsules and were not different between treatment groups following the intervention.

Conclusions: These results do not support a beneficial effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium longum strain UABL-14 on plasma lipids in normocholesterolemic young women and men.

Sponsorship: Supported by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station and UAS Laboratories.