Preliminary research suggests that the gut microbiota may play a role in cardiovascular health, to the extent that it may be clinically significant in the development of cardiovascular disease. A recently-published study on a healthy population provided evidence to support this theory.
 
In a parallel arm clinical trial published in the journal Beneficial Microbes, the probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis DE111 was evidenced to benefit endothelial function and beneficially modulate cholesterol levels in a four-week trial involving patients aged 18 to 65.
 
The IRB-approved, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study intended to determine whether the probiotic strain would improve cardiovascular parameters in healthy adults, based upon previous correlations between certain probiotic strains and improved vascular function, systemic inflammation, and glucose tolerance, as told by other clinical trials. To date, only animal model studies have shown that Bacillus subtilis can support healthy cholesterol levels.
 
Daily supplementation of the probiotic at 1 billion CFU daily resulted in significant reduction in total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol relative to baseline measures, with no significant changes found in the placebo group. Additionally, endothelial function was measurably improved, based on calculations of average reactive hyperemia index, an indicator of blood flow and heart health, which increased by 9.14%.
 
The authors of the study concluded that, considering the relatively short duration of the four-week intervention, and the healthy status of the study participants, further exploration is warranted into B. subtilis’ potential cardiovascular benefits.
 
“To our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of B. subtilis supplementation on these parameters in a human population,” the principal investigators of the study said.
 
They theorized that this probiotic strain may have had an indirect effect on enhancing the generation of short chain fatty acids in the body, which could have led to a lowering of cholesterol levels across the experimental group.
 
“While there are no clear mechanisms to explain the cholesterol lowering effects of B. subtilis, it is conceivable that it may be due to the effect short chain fatty acids (SCFA) have on cholesterol metabolism. As previously mentioned, insoluble fiber is fermented in the small intestine by a variety of bacterial species, producing SCFA. While B. subtilis is known to stimulate the production of lactic acid by enhancing the growth of Lactobacillus spp., lactic acid can also be converted to SCFA through cross feeding. SCFA have been demonstrated to inhibit the synthesis of hepatic cholesterol, leading further to a reduction in LDL-c and non-HDL-c,” the authors concluded.
 
“Notably, these effects were observed in a population of healthy individuals, and the results strongly suggest that B. subtilis supplementation may help support cardiovascular health,” Dr. John Deaton, vice president of science and technology at Deerland, said, adding that the spore-forming properties of the probiotic DE111 allow it to be formulated in a number of products beyond traditional supplement capsules, including gummies, chocolates, functional beverages, and fitness nutrition powders.