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Beneficial effects of fructo-oligosaccharides supplementation on fecal bifidobacteria and index of peroxidation status in constipated nursing-home residents--a placebo-controlled, diet-controlled trial.
Yen, CH, Kuo, YW, Tseng, YH, Lee, MC, Chen, HL
Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.). 2011;(3):323-8
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study assessed effects of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) supplementation on fecal bifidobacteria, lipid peroxidation index, indices of nutritional status, and whether effects of FOS were sustained after its withdrawal in constipated nursing-home residents. The associations of fecal bifidobacteria and blood measurements were also examined. METHODS Six men and four women participated in a double-blind, diet-controlled study that consisted of a 4-wk placebo (3 mL of fructose syrup) period, a 4-wk FOS (10 g/d) period, and a 4-wk post-FOS period. Stools were collected during the last week of each period to determine the microflora and fecal weight. Fasting blood was collected at the end of each period and analyzed for thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and biochemical indices. RESULTS Fecal counts (log counts/gram of dry feces) and daily fecal output of bifidobacteria significantly increased with FOS compared with placebo. The effect on bifidobacteria output was sustained in the post-FOS period. Plasma TBARS concentration was reduced by 16% and 21% in the FOS and post-FOS periods, respectively, compared with that in the placebo period. The plasma cholesterol level was significantly lowered by 7% in the FOS and post-FOS periods compared with that in the placebo period. The increases in fecal bifidobacteria output during the FOS period (log colony-forming units per day) were associated with decreases in plasma TBARS and plasma cholesterol, respectively. CONCLUSION Supplementation of FOS increases the daily output of bifidobacteria and decreases plasma TBARS and cholesterol concentrations in constipated nursing-home elderly residents and these effects remained at the end the post-FOS period.
2.
A human volunteer study to assess the impact of confectionery sweeteners on the gut microbiota composition.
Beards, E, Tuohy, K, Gibson, G
The British journal of nutrition. 2010;(5):701-8
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Abstract
Sweeteners are being sourced to lower the energetic value of confectionery including chocolates. Some, especially non-digestible carbohydrates, may possess other benefits for human health upon their fermentation by the colonic microbiota. The present study assessed non-digestible carbohydrate sweeteners, selected for use in low-energy chocolates, for their ability to beneficially modulate faecal bacterial profiles in human volunteers. Forty volunteers consumed a test chocolate (low-energy or experimental chocolate) containing 22.8 g of maltitol (MTL), MTL and polydextrose (PDX), or MTL and resistant starch for fourteen consecutive days. The dose of the test chocolates was doubled every 2 weeks over a 6-week period. Numbers of faecal bifidobacteria significantly increased with all the three test treatments. Chocolate containing the PDX blend also significantly increased faecal lactobacilli (P = 0.00 001) after the 6 weeks. The PDX blend also showed significant increases in faecal propionate and butyrate (P = 0.002 and 0.006, respectively). All the test chocolates were well tolerated with no significant change in bowel habit or intestinal symptoms even at a daily dose of 45.6 g of non-digestible carbohydrate sweetener. This is of importance not only for giving manufacturers a sugar replacement that can reduce energetic content, but also for providing a well-tolerated means of delivering high levels of non-digestible carbohydrates into the colon, bringing about improvements in the biomarkers of gut health.
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Consumption of Bifidobacterium lactis LKM512 yogurt reduces gut mutagenicity by increasing gut polyamine contents in healthy adult subjects.
Matsumoto, M, Benno, Y
Mutation research. 2004;(2):147-53
Abstract
The possible role of probiotic metabolites on human health effects of probiotics has received little research attention. In this study, we investigated the effects of consumption of Bifidobacterium lactis LKM512-containing yogurt (LKM512 yogurt) on fecal probiotic metabolites (polyamines, lactate, and acetate) and mutagenicity in seven healthy adults (one male and six females; average age: 30.5 years). Each volunteer was provided with 100g/day of LKM512 yogurt or placebo for 2 weeks. Fecal polyamines and mutagenicity were measured by HPLC and the umu-test, respectively. Consumption of LKM512 yogurt increased fecal spermidine levels, but not fecal lactate and acetate contents. The mutagenicity level significantly reduced to 79.2% (10-91.1%) and 47.9% (0-86.8%) following consumption of LKM512 yogurt (P=0.0293) and placebo (P=0.0314), respectively. LKM512 yogurt consumption significantly reduced the mutagenicity level compared with consumption of a placebo (P=0.0489). These results suggest that increased gut spermidine level by LKM512 yogurt was responsible for the reduction of mutagenicity in the gut of healthy adults. We suggest that spermidine produced by LKM512 yogurt consumption contributes to host health as a bioantimutagenic factor; to our knowledge, these substances have not been previously reported as antimutagens from probiotics or fermented milk.
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Long-term consumption of fermented dairy products over 6 months increases HDL cholesterol.
Kiessling, G, Schneider, J, Jahreis, G
European journal of clinical nutrition. 2002;(9):843-9
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Assessment of the hypocholesterolaemic effect of yoghurt supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus 145 and Bifidobacterium longum 913 in women. DESIGN The cross-over study consisted of three periods (7 weeks each): first period, control yoghurt for all 29 women; second period, probiotic yoghurt for 18 women, control yoghurt for 11 women; third period, the reverse of that in the second period. SETTING Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutritional Science, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. SUBJECTS Twenty-nine healthy women, aged 19-56 y. Fifteen of these were normocholesterolaemic and 14 women were hypercholesterolaemic. INTERVENTION Yoghurt (300 g) daily containing 3.5% fat and starter cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and L. lactis. Probiotic yoghurt was the control yoghurt enriched with L. acidophilus 145, B. longum 913 and 1% oligofructose (synbiotic). RESULTS The mean serum concentration of total cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol was not influenced by the synbiotic (P>0.05). The HDL concentration increased significantly by 0.3 mmol/l (P=0.002). The ratio of LDL/HDL cholesterol decreased from 3.24 to 2.48 (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS The long-term daily consumption of 300 g yoghurt over a period of 21 weeks (control and synbiotic) increased the serum concentration of HDL cholesterol and lead to the desired improvement of the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio.