Probiotics and Gut Health

Prior treatment

• use of cholesterol or lipid lowering medications
• regular use of anti-inflammatory medications (e.g. aspirin, ibuprofen)

Other illness

• allergy to dairy
• history of myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, kidney disease, thyroid disease (unless controlled on medication)
• clinical diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) e.g. Chron's disease or ulcerative colitis

Lab values

• fasting glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL
• use of anti-hypertensive or glucose lowering supplements (psyllium, fish oil capsules, soy lecithin, niacin, fiber, flax, phytoestrogens, and stanol/sterol supplemented foods)

Other

• smoking and/or use of tobacco products
• systolic blood pressure ≥ 160 mmHg
• diastolic blood pressure \> 100 mmHg
• refusal to discontinue nutritional supplements, herbs, vitamins, or other probiotics
• Use of antibiotics within the last 2 months
• excessive alcohol consumption (≥ 14 standard drinks per week)

• BMI ≥ to 25 and less than 35 kg/m\^2
• Increased waist circumference (men: ≥ 94 cm, women: ≥ 80 cm)
• At least one of the metabolic syndrome criteria-
• serum triglycerides: ≥ 150 mg/dL
• HDL cholesterol: ≤ 40 mg/dL in men, ≤ 50 mg/dL in women
• blood pressure: ≥ 130 mmHg systolic or ≥ 85 mmHg diastolic
• fasting plasma glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL