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Objective: To investigate the effect of probiotic capsules on plasma lipids., Design: A randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm trial., Subjects: Fifty-five normocholesterolemic subjects ages 18-36 (33 premenopausal women and 22 men)., Intervention: Each subject consumed either three probiotic capsules each containing a total of 10(9) colony-forming units Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum and 10-15 mg fructo-oligosaccharide or three placebo capsules daily for 2 months (men) or two menstrual cycles (women). Plasma lipids were measured before and following the intervention (during the early follicular phase for women)., Results: Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride were not altered by consumption of probiotic or placebo capsules and were not different between treatment groups following the intervention., Conclusions: These results do not support a beneficial effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium longum strain UABL-14 on plasma lipids in normocholesterolemic young women and men., Sponsorship: Supported by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station and UAS Laboratories.

Objective: To confirm the results of an earlier study showing premenopausal equol excretors to have hormone profiles associated with reduced breast cancer risk, and to investigate whether equol excretion status and plasma hormone concentrations can be influenced by consumption of probiotics., Design: A randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm trial., Subjects: In all, 34 of the initially enrolled 37 subjects completed all requirements., Intervention: All subjects were followed for two full menstrual cycles and the first seven days of a third cycle. During menstrual cycle 1, plasma concentrations of estradiol (E(2)), estrone (E(1)), estrone-sulfate (E(1)-S), testosterone (T), androstenedione (A), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S), and sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were measured on cycle day 2, 3, or 4, and urinary equol measured on day 7 after a 4-day soy challenge. Subjects then received either probiotic capsules (containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum) or placebo capsules through day 7 of menstrual cycle 3, at which time both the plasma hormone concentrations and the post-soy challenge urinary equol measurements were repeated., Results: During menstrual cycle 1, equol excretors and non-excretors were not significantly different with respect to subject characteristics, diet, or hormone concentrations. Significant inverse correlations were found between E(2) and body mass index (BMI) (P=0.02), SHBG and BMI (P=0.01), DHEA-S and dietary fiber (P=0.04), and A and protein:carbohydrate ratio (P=0.02). Probiotic consumption failed to significantly alter equol excretor status or hormone concentrations during menstrual cycle 3, although there were trends towards decreased concentrations of T (P=0.14) and SHBG (P=0.10) in the probiotic group., Conclusions: We were unable to verify a previously reported finding of premenopausal equol excretors having plasma hormone concentrations different from those of nonexcretors. Furthermore, a 2-month intervention with probiotic capsules did not significantly alter equol excretion or plasma hormone concentrations.