Dietary combination of soy with a probiotic or prebiotic food significantly reduces total and LDL cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects
Abstract
Objective: We hypothesized that a dietary combination of soy with either a probiotic (yoghurt) or a prebiotic (resistant starch) would result in enhanced lipid-lowering effects compared with a control soy diet, possibly via improvements in isoflavone bioavailability.
Subjects: Mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects (men and post-menopausal women) older than 45 years were recruited via the local media. Thirty-six subjects commenced the study; five withdrew.
Results: Soy+probiotic significantly decreased total cholesterol (4.72.0%; P=0.038) and soy+prebiotic significantly decreased total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (5.51.6%; P=0.003 and 7.32.2%; P=0.005, respectively). The bioavailabilities of daidzein, genistein or equol were not affected by probiotic or prebiotic consumption or associated with lipid changes.
Conclusion: Dietary combination of soy with either a probiotic or a prebiotic resulted in significant lipid lowering, not related to isoflavone bioavailability.
Publication Details
Larkin, T. A., Astheimer, L. & Price, W. E. 2009, 'Dietary combination of soy with a probiotic or prebiotic food significantly reduces total and LDL cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects', European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 238-245.