Kaneka Probiotics has announced the publication of a study examining the effects of its Cardio Probiotic on subjects with elevated LDL cholesterol. The formulation, which consists of three strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum KABP-011, -012, and -013) was administered to subjects in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial setting. Now published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, the trial took place over a 12-week period, with a daily dose of 100 mg of the triple-strain blend (providing 1.2bn CFUs per day).
In the study, the probiotic exerted favourable effects on plasma LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol compared against placebo. While the placebo group exhibited minimal changes, the supplementation group reportedly showed a significantly larger reduction in LDL-Cholesterol. These effects were more pronounced in subjects with higher LDL cholesterol concentrations. With this most recent study, the ingredient now has 4 published clinical trials demonstrating benefits measured through plasma lipid analysis.
“Our Cardio strains are very potent producers of Bile Salt Hydrolase enzyme, which is one of the key mechanisms mediating cholesterol decline,” said Mike Kolifrath, Vice President, Sales and Marketing of the Probiotics Division at Kaneka. “This is not a trait shared by all probiotics, so we are confident that innovative brands will incorporate Cardio into their cardiovascular formulations.”