The American journal of clinical nutrition
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v on cardiovascular disease risk factors in smokers.
The short-chain fatty acids formed in the human colon by the bacterial fermentation of fiber may have an antiinflammatory effect, may reduce insulin production, and may improve lipid metabolism. We previously showed in hypercholesterolemic patients that supplementation with the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum 299v significantly lowers concentrations of LDL cholesterol and fibrinogen. ⋯ L. plantarum administration leads to a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk factors and could be useful as a protective agent in the primary prevention of atherosclerosis in smokers.
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Body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) cutoffs for use with children and adolescents aged 2-18 y that correspond to the well-accepted BMI cutoffs for overweight (> or = 25 but < 30) and obesity (> or = 30) in adults were published recently. ⋯ The %BF values associated with BMI classifications of overweight and obesity vary considerably with age in growing children, particularly in girls.