1. Cholesterol may be produced by the liver and/or pulled from the stock of existing cholesterol found in the blood stream. From cholesterol, our liver produces bile salts.
2. These bile salts are used for digestion in the intestine, where 90-99% are then recycled back to the liver (a constant cycle).
   1. Because bile salts are recycled, any additional cholesterol produced by the liver can make its way into the blood stream, leading to elevated levels and increasing cardiovascular disease risk. This is in addition to cholesterol that can be added by an individuals diet.
3. Some microorganisms found naturally in the gut microbiome have the capacity to break down these bile salts in the intestine, which prevents them from being reabsorbed. When this occurs the liver has to produce more bile salts to replenish the missing amount. For this, the liver will need cholesterol, which it can either produce and/or pull from the available supply in the blood.
4. This is where Lactobacillus plantarum LP_LDL® shines as a probiotic which has an extraordinary natural capacity to increase the breakdown rate of bile salts (this is also known as bile salt hydrolysis, BSH). With fewer bile salts being reabsorbed, the liver has to produce more from cholesterol. This results in the liver pulling cholesterol from the blood in circulation to create new bile salts and leads to cholesterol in the blood decreasing (along with blood pressure). This was showcased by the study carried out by the University of Reading.
   
   In CholBiome®_X3 we add monacolin K, which is a natural inhibitor of cholesterol production by the liver, hence forcing the liver to rely more on blood cholesterol to replenish the bile salts pool that is being decreased by LP_LDL® in the intestine.
   
   In CholBiome®_BP, we utilise the actives L-arginine and coenzyme Q10 to help with vasodilation and effectively support normal blood circulation and pressure.

Interesting Fact:

Cholesterol is made available by two pathways, endogenous, which is when it is produced by the liver, and exogenous which is in relation to cholesterol added by our diet. Even in cholesterol-rich diets like ours, exogenous-dietary cholesterol makes up only about 10% of the blood we end up measuring. The remaining 90% comes from liver production. This is why it is not only important to reduce the intake of cholesterol (which can’t be completely avoided) as with this we get at most 10-12% reduction in blood cholesterol, but also tackle the root of the problem which is endogenous cholesterol.