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A combination of calcium phosphate and probiotics beneficially influences intestinal lactobacilli and cholesterol metabolism in humans.

  • 2012-04
  • Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) 31(2)
    • Ulrike Trautvetter
    • Bianka Ditscheid
    • Michael Kiehntopf
    • Gerhard Jahreis

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Population
32 men and women
Methods
double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study; probiotic drink containing 10(10)CFU/d Lactobacillus paracasei (LPC37) for four weeks; one group consumed bread enriched with pentacalcium hydroxy-triphosphate (CaP; 1g Ca/d) and the other group had bread without CaP; after a two-week washout and a two-week placebo period, the intervention was switched for further four weeks
Blinding
Double-blind
Duration
four weeks (intervention period) with two-week washout and two-week placebo period
Funding
Unclear

Background & aims

The study focuses on the influence of a probiotic supplement alone and in combination with a calcium supplement on faecal lactobacilli colonisation and beneficial health effects such as a lowering of blood cholesterol.

Methods

Thirty-two men and women participated in the double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. All participants consumed a probiotic drink containing 10(10)CFU/d Lactobacillus paracasei (LPC37) for four weeks. In addition, one group consumed bread enriched with pentacalcium hydroxy-triphosphate (CaP; 1g Ca/d) and the other group had bread without CaP. After a two-week washout and a two-week placebo period, the intervention was switched for further four weeks.

Results

After intervention with LPC37+CaP, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentration in plasma decreased significantly compared to LPC37 and placebo. The faecal concentration of L. paracasei and that of all lactobacilli increased significantly after LPC37+CaP and LPC37 compared to placebo. Moreover, secondary bile acids in faeces increased significantly after LPC37+CaP intervention compared to placebo.

Conclusions

CaP modulates the colonisation of LPC37 in the human gut under combinatory supplementation of CaP and LPC37. The combined supplementation also decreases plasma LDL-cholesterol and the LDL/HDL ratio in healthy, moderately hypercholesterolemic men and women, which could be also due to the CaP supplementation.

Clinical trial registration number

NCT01033461.

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