Cholesterol lowering effect of a soy drink enriched with plant sterols in a French population with moderate hypercholesterolemia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Plant sterols are an established non-pharmacological means to reduce total and LDL blood cholesterol concentrations and are therefore recommended for cholesterol management by worldwide-renown health care institutions. Their efficacy has been proven in many types of foods with the majority of trials conducted in spreads or dairy products. As an alternative to dairy products, soy based foods are common throughout the world. Yet, there is little evidence supporting the efficacy of plant sterols in soy-based foods. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a soy drink enriched with plant sterols on blood lipid profiles in moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind mono-centric study, 50 subjects were assigned to 200 ml of soy drink either enriched with 2.6 g plant sterol esters (1.6 g/d free plant sterol equivalents) or without plant sterols (control) for 8 weeks. Subjects were instructed to maintain stable diet pattern and physical activity. Plasma concentrations of lipids were measured at initial visit, after 4 weeks and after 8 weeks. The primary measurement was the change in LDL cholesterol (LDL-C). Secondary measurements were changes in total cholesterol (TC), non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-C), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Regular consumption of the soy drink enriched with plant sterols for 8 weeks significantly reduced LDL- C by 0.29 mmol/l or 7% compared to baseline (p < 0.05). TC and non-HDL-C concentrations decreased by 0.26 mmol/l and 0.31 mmol/l (each p < 0.05), respectively. Mean reductions in total, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol were significantly greater than in the placebo group (p < 0.05). HDL-C and triglycerides were not affected. Compliance was very high (>96%), and products were well tolerated.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Daily consumption of a plant sterol-enriched soy drink significantly decreased total, non-HDL and LDL cholesterol and is therefore an interesting and convenient aid in managing mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia.</p

Assessment of psychotropic-like properties of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in rats and human subjects

International audienceIn a previous clinical study, a probiotic formulation (PF) consisting of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 (PF) decreased stress-induced gastrointestinal discomfort. Emerging evidence of a role for gut microbiota on central nervous system functions therefore suggests that oral intake of probiotics may have beneficial consequences on mood and psychological distress. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anxiolytic-like activity of PF in rats, and its possible effects on anxiety, depression, stress and coping strategies in healthy human volunteers. In the preclinical study, rats were daily administered PF for 2 weeks and subsequently tested in the conditioned defensive burying test, a screening model for anti-anxiety agents. In the clinical trial, volunteers participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised parallel group study with PF administered for 30 d and assessed with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-90), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Coping Checklist (CCL) and 24 h urinary free cortisol (UFC). Daily subchronic administration of PF significantly reduced anxiety-like behaviour in rats (P<0.05) and alleviated psychological distress in volunteers, as measured particularly by the HSCL-90 scale (global severity index, P<0.05; somatisation, P<0.05; depression, P<0.05; and anger-hostility, P.0<05), the HADS (HADS global score, P<0.05; and HADS-anxiety, P<0.06), and by the CCL (problem solving, P.0<05) and the UFC level (P<0.05). L. helveticus R0052 and B. longum R0175 taken in combination display anxiolytic-like activity in rats and beneficial psychological effects in healthy human volunteers

A randomized clinical trial of Saccharomyces cerevisiae versus placebo in the irritable bowel syndrome

International audienceBACKGROUND:We aimed to evaluate clinical symptoms in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome receiving Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.METHODS:Overall, 179 adults with irritable bowel syndrome (Rome III criteria) were randomized to receive once daily 500 mg of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, delivered by one capsule (n = 86, F: 84%, age: 42.5 ± 12.5), or placebo (n = 93, F: 88%, age: 45.4 ± 14) for 8 weeks followed by a 3-week washout period. After a 2-week run-in period, cardinal symptoms (abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating/distension, bowel movement difficulty) and changes in stool frequency and consistency were recorded daily and assessed each week. A safety assessment was carried out throughout the study.RESULTS:The proportion of responders, defined by an improvement of abdominal pain/discomfort, was significantly higher (p = 0.04) in the treated group than the placebo group (63% vs 47%, OR = 1.88, 95%, CI: 0.99-3.57) in the last 4 weeks of treatment. A non-significant trend of improvement was observed with Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the other symptoms. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was well tolerated and did not affect stool frequency and consistency.CONCLUSION:Saccharomyces cerevisiae is well tolerated and reduces abdominal pain/discomfort scores without stool modification. Thus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae may be a new promising candidate for improving abdominal pain in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome

A combined natural supplement lowers LDL cholesterol in subjects with moderate untreated hypercholesterolemia: A randomized placebo-controlled trial

Objective: To investigate the effect of a natural cholesterol-lowering supplement (NCLS) containing red yeast rice, policosanols and artichoke leaf extracts on blood lipid concentrations as well as on safety parameters when given over 16 weeks in 100 volunteers with untreated moderate hypercholesterolemia, in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Results: Reduction of primary outcome low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [-0.22 g/L (95% confidence interval, CI:-0.31 to-0.12) corresponding to-14.3% from baseline (95% CI:-21.5 to-7.2) compared to placebo], as well as total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B100 and apolipoprotein B100/apolipoprotein A-I ratio, were observed after 16 weeks of supplementation with NCLS. These effects were already observed at Week 4 and 10 of supplementation. No significant changes were observed in high-density lipoprotein, triacylglycerol, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and coenzyme Q10 levels, as well as in markers of liver and renal function. Conclusions: The NCLS was effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B100 in subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia, without modifying safety parameters. © 2013 Informa UK Ltd. All rights reserved.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Glycemic Index and Insulinemic Index of Foods: An Interlaboratory Study Using the ISO 2010 Method

An official method for determining food glycemic index (GI) was published by the Organization for International Standardization (ISO) in 2010, but its performance has not been assessed. Therefore, we aimed to determine the intra- and inter-laboratory variation of food GI values measured using the 2010 ISO method. Three laboratories (Australia, Canada and France) determined the GI and insulinemic-index (II) of six foods in groups of 13&ndash;15 participants using the 2010 ISO method and intra- and inter-laboratory Standard Deviations (SDs) were calculated. Overall mean food GIs varied from 47 to 86 (p &lt; 0.0001) with no significant difference among labs (p = 0.57) and no food &times; laboratory interaction (p = 0.20). Within-laboratory SD was similar among foods (range, 17.8&ndash;22.5; p = 0.49) but varied among laboratories (range 17.5&ndash;23.1; p = 0.047). Between-laboratory SD of mean food GI values ranged from 1.6 to 6.7 (mean, 5.1). Mean glucose and insulin responses varied among foods (p &lt; 0.001) with insulin (p = 0.0037), but not glucose (p = 0.054), varying significantly among labs. Mean II varied among foods (p &lt; 0.001) but not among labs (p = 0.94). In conclusion, we found that using the 2010 ISO method, the mean between-laboratory SD of GI was 5.1. This suggests that the ISO method is sufficiently precise to distinguish a mean GI = 55 from a mean GI &ge; 70 with 97&ndash;99% probability

TOTUM ‐63, a plant‐based polyphenol‐rich extract, improves glycaemic control in subjects with prediabetes or early stage newly‐diagnosed type 2 diabetes in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial

International audienc