Original Article

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009) 63, 238–245; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602910; published online 17 October 2007

Dietary combination of soy with a probiotic or prebiotic food significantly reduces total and LDL cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects

T A Larkin1,2, L B Astheimer1 and W E Price2,3

  1. 1Department of Biomedical Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
  2. 2ARC Smart Foods Key Centre
  3. 3Department of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Correspondence: Dr TA Larkin, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia. E-mail: tlarkin@uow.edu.au

Received 17 August 2006; Revised 4 August 2007; Accepted 6 August 2007; Published online 17 October 2007.

Top

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 (4.7plusminus2.0%; P=0.038) and soy+prebiotic significantly decreased total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (5.5plusminus1.6%; P=0.003 and 7.3plusminus2.2%; 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.

Keywords:

isoflavones, probiotic, prebiotic, lipids, bioavailability, equol

Extra navigation

.

naturejobs

More science jobs
Post a job for free
ADVERTISEMENT