Probiotics and gut bacteria are essential in cholesterol levels and heart health. It may be difficult to imagine that these seemingly unrelated areas of the body, the gut and heart, are related. What happens in our gut influences cholesterol levels, inflammation, and body weight, each contributing to a healthy heart.
Probiotics can influence heart health by affecting the following:
- Cholesterol levels
- Weight
- Blood pressure
- Inflammation
- Oral Health
Always choose a high-quality, well-researched probiotic supplement containing strains researched for cholesterol maintenance and heart health.
How Does Probiotics Affect Cholesterol Levels?
The bacteria in our gut influence our cholesterol levels, a known risk factor for heart disease. High cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Raised cholesterol levels can lead to the narrowing of our arteries, known as atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, cholesterol and other substances stick to the wall of the blood vessel, forming a plaque which builds up over time, eventually blocking the artery. These blockages in our blood vessels can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Probiotic bacteria contain enzymes, which break down components of our food. Specific probiotic strains contain an enzyme called bile salt hydrolase which breaks down bile salts in the gut, which are then excreted in our stools. Cholesterol is required to make more bile, so circulating cholesterol in the body replaces the lost bile salts.
How Does Probiotics Affect Different Kinds Of Cholesterol?
There’s a tale of two cholesterols:
- Good cholesterol – High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
- Bad cholesterol – Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
Cholesterol performs many crucial functions, but we don’t need that much of it. The liver makes enough cholesterol to support the entire body. Plus, the small intestines play a role, too. These vital organs release cholesterol as lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are essential inner tubes carrying nutrients through a river channel known as our arteries.
They circulate the bloodstream to perform their critical functions. In a healthy system, the liver filters out any excess cholesterol metabolites. Then, it flushes the excess out with our waste. Here is a prime example of the probiotics and cholesterol connection at work. However, the liver and small intestines don’t contribute cholesterol to our system. Our diet is, too. That’s where cholesterol becomes the enemy.
Optimize your gut bacteria, and cholesterol levels will begin to balance. Address inflammation caused by high-fat diets. Reduce the build-up of plaques that can raise blood pressure or promote heart disease. Support metabolic health for overall cardiovascular wellness. A particular probiotic strain called Lactobacillus plantarum has been scientifically proven to reduce cholesterol levels.
How Effective Are Probiotics From Cholesterol Lowering Medication?
Specific probiotic strains have been recognized to support healthy cholesterol levels, including:
- Lactobacillus plantarum CECT 7527
- Lactobacillus plantarum CECT 7528
- Lactobacillus plantarum CECT 7529
- Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242
It is complicated to imagine how bacteria in our gut can play a part in cholesterol management. However, it’s believed that there are several mechanisms by which probiotics may reduce cholesterol:
- They reduce the absorption of cholesterol from our food. Some probiotic bacteria take up cholesterol from their surrounding environment, and others have a sticky surface to which cholesterol attaches, preventing it from being absorbed in the gut. Other probiotic strains prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by converting it into another compound called coprostanol. Coprostanol cannot be interested in the intestines and is therefore eliminated in our stool.
- They increase bile production in the body, which can reduce circulating cholesterol levels. Probiotic bacteria contain enzymes, which break down components of our food. Specific probiotic strains contain an enzyme called bile salt hydrolase which breaks down bile salts in the gut, which are then excreted in our stools. Cholesterol is required to make more bile, so circulating cholesterol in the body replaces the lost bile salts.
- They reduce the production of cholesterol in the liver. Certain probiotic strains produce a short-chain fatty acid, propionic acid, which under certain conditions, can reduce the production of cholesterol by the liver.
