Reduce Cholesterol 

Several studies have suggested a cholesterol lowering effect from lactic acid bacteria.^4,6,19,24-26 Intestinal bacteria have been shown to convert cholesterol into a less absorbable form (coprostanol), thus hampering its absorption from the intestinal tract.²⁴ 

Bottle-fed infants have been shown to have lower serum cholesterol levels when lactobacilli predominate in their gut.²⁴ Subjects consuming dairy products with lactic acid cultures have experienced reduced cholesterol levels, whereas uncultured dairy products showed no such effect.²⁵ B. bifidum and L. acidophilus, specifically, have been shown to decompose cholesterol in vitro, with B. bifidum showing the most significant effects.^4,6 The growth of B. bifidum was found to be inversely related to the recovery rate of cholesterol so the more B. bifidum present, the less cholesterol found.⁶ 

Honma et al. showed that B. bifidum and L. acidophilus suppressed the synthesis of cholesterol by human lymphocytes by inhibiting an enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase), which synthesizes cholesterol.⁶ Intake of 3 x 1010 B. bifidum per day resulted in significant reductions in both total and LDL cholesterol.⁶