The Effect of Nattokinase-Monascus Supplements on Dyslipidemia: A Four-Month Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Xiaoming Liu, Xuejiao Zeng, Jinli Mahe, Kai Guo, Panpan He, Qianwen Yang, Zhiwei Zhang, Zhongxia Li, Di Wang, Zheqing Zhang, Lei Wang*, Lipeng Jing*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Dyslipidemia, a condition implying high cardiovascular risks, has been widely studied on its potential nutrition interventions, including functional foods. This study aims to examine the effect of nattokinase monascus supplements (NMSs) on cardiovascular biomarkers and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in patients with dyslipidemia. A total of 113 eligible subjects were randomly assigned to receive either NMSs or a placebo (55 and 58, respectively). After a 120-day intervention, there were significant mean absolute changes in total cholesterol (TC), low-density cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density cholesterol (non-HDL-C), and low-density cholesterol to high-density cholesterol ratio (LDL-C to HDL-C ratio), with values of −0.52 (95% CI: −0.51 to −0.54) mmol/L, −0.43 (95% CI: −0.45 to −0.41) mmol/L, −0.52 (95% CI: −0.52 to −0.52) mmol/L, and −0.29 (95% CI: −0.30 to −0.28) mmol/L, respectively, between the two groups. However, no significant differences were found in triglycerides (TGs), high-density cholesterol (HDL-C), and CIMT. Furthermore, the results for lipids and CIMT remained essentially unchanged after adjusting for various confounding factors using the analysis of covariance model. There were no significant differences in coagulation, liver function, renal function, or other indicators. No intervention-related adverse events, such as mouth ulcers, drooling, and stomach pain, were reported. The study results demonstrate that NMSs can ameliorate lipid levels (TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and the LDL-C to HDL-C ratio) without the occurrence of adverse events. However, it did not significantly affect serum TG, HDL-C, and CIMT.

Original languageEnglish
Article number4239
JournalNutrients
Volume15
Issue number19
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2023
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • dyslipidemia
  • lovastatin
  • nattokinase
  • nattokinase-monascus supplements
  • red yeast rice

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