What’s more, the team noted a marked decrease in blood cholesterol, with levels of total cholesterol falling by 6.1 percent and LDL cholesterol by 5.9 percent.
Levels of bile acids, which play a role in cholesterol metabolism, fell by 40.9 percent.
The findings of the study, despite its small size, are particularly useful in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
This is because the condition, which claims around 17 million people each year, is heavily influenced by factors such as high cholesterol and hypertension.