New research published in a peer reviewed journal by Majeed M, Majeed S, Nagabhushanam K, Arumugam S, Beede K, Ali F. (2018) “Evaluation of the in vitro cholesterol-lowering activity of the probiotic strain Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856” (Int J Food Sci Technol. doi:10.1111/ijfs.13926) shows that Sabinsa’s probiotic strain Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (LactoSpore®), shown to be clinically effective in gastrointestinal related disorders such as IBS, could also be effective in managing hypercholesterolemia and may reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease.

“This is particularly significant because higher than normal serum cholesterol levels is the leading cause of coronary heart disease and other disabilities,” said Dr. Muhammed Majeed, founder of Sabinsa. Coronary heart disease is one of the foremost causes of death and other disabilities in developing countries and in the western world. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 23 million people will be affected by coronary heart disease and that it will become the major cause of death by 2030.

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This study investigated the in vitro cholesterol-lowering activity of LactoSpore®. This probiotic strain was found to be positive for bile salt hydrolase enzyme activity which is an important criteria and biomarker for the selection of probiotic strain adjuncts to manage hypercholesterolemia.

The study also reported that LactoSpore was not only effective in reducing cholesterol in culture media but also in cholesterol-rich foods, such as egg yolk (39.79%), chicken liver (45.44%) and butter (49.51%), when incubated in conditions mimicking the in vivo environment.

The study concluded that LactoSpore reduces cholesterol levels in multitudinous ways, which endorses its application in functional food formulations and as a dietary ingredient for the management of hypercholesterolemia which could reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease and other related disabilities.

Although further studies may be needed, the findings reported in this study provide clear evidence of the effectiveness of the probiotic strain LactoSpore in the nutritional treatment of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia.

Sabinsa sells LactoSpore at various strengths: 6 billion, 15 billion and 100 billion spores/gram. The health benefits and stability of LactoSpore have been published in several peer-reviewed journals and the present investigation further supports the functional benefits of this branded probiotic in human health.

The open access article can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.13926).