Influence of consumption of probiotics on the plasma lipid profile: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Guo, Z.; Liu, X.M.; Zhang, Q.X.; Shen, Z.; Tian, F.W.; Zhang, H.; Sun, Z.H.; Zhang, H.P.; Chen, W.

doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2011.04.008

« Previous Next »Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases
Volume 21, Issue 11 , Pages 844-850, November 2011

Influence of consumption of probiotics on the plasma lipid profile: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Z. Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
X.M. Liu
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, PR China
- These authors contributed equally to this work.
Q.X. Zhang
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, PR China
Z. Shen
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
F.W. Tian
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, PR China
H. Zhang
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, PR China
Z.H. Sun
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Education Ministry of PR China, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, PR China
H.P. Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Education Ministry of PR China, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, PR China
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 0471 4309940; fax: +86 0471 4305357.
W. Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 510 85912155; fax: +86 0510 85912155.

Received 3 December 2010; received in revised form 6 April 2011; accepted 7 April 2011. published online 19 September 2011.

Abstract

Aims

Human clinical studies have yielded mixed results on the effects of consumption of probiotics on the plasma lipid profile. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effects of probiotics consumption on blood lipids.

Data Synthesis

A systematic literature search of Embase, Web of Science, PubMed and Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry was conducted for studies that investigated the efficacy of probiotics on the plasma lipid profile of subjects. With the help of Review Manager 4.2, data from 13 trials, which included 485 participants with high, borderline high and normal cholesterol levels, were examined. The pooled mean net change in total cholesterol for those treated with probiotics compared to controls was −6.40 mg dl⁻¹ (95% confidence interval (CI), −9.93 to −2.87), mean net change in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was −4.90 mg dl⁻¹ (95% CI, −7.91 to −1.90), mean net change in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was −0.11 mg dl⁻¹ (95% CI, −1.90–1.69) and mean net change in triglycerides was −3.95 mg dl⁻¹ (95% CI, −10.32–2.42).

Conclusion

These results indicate that a diet rich in probiotics decreases total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentration in plasma for participants with high, borderline high and normal cholesterol levels.

Keywords: Probiotics, Meta-analysis, Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, Triglycerides