Good gut health can help lower cholesterol levels

Researchers have found that a good gut health can have a positive effect on the heart as certain probiotics have cholesterol-lowering potential.

The new study examined 26 clinical studies and two meta-analyses to assess the potential of probiotics in reducing LDL-cholesterol.

Of the probiotics examined, L.reuteri NCIMB 30242 (Cardioviva(tm)) was found to best meet therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) dietary requirements by significantly reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol and total cholesterol, with robustness similar to that of existing TLC dietary options, improving other coronary heart disease risk factors, such as inflammatory biomarkers, and having "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) status.

Heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and elevated LDL-cholesterol is a major risk factor.

91 percent adults say they care about maintaining a healthy cholesterol level for heart health, but less than 37 percent routinely get their cholesterol tested.

Doug DiRienzo, lead author of the review, said that people know probiotics for digestive health, but they don't associate them with heart health and it's time to recognize their potential role as a simple and natural tool in cholesterol management.

Randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials have shown that Cardioviva(tm) healthy bacteria lowered total and LDL cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic adults.

The study is published in Nutrition Reviews.