Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic exercise and the consumption of kefir dough on anthropometric indices, plasma lipid profile and blood pressure in overweight non-athletic women.
Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 32 non-athletic women with overweight in Arak, Iran (mean age= 33.94±8.58 years, mean height= 1.59±0.05 cm, mean weight= 70.15±6.88 kg, and body mass index= 27.35±1.50 kg/m2) who were voluntarily selected and randomly divided into four groups of 8 (control, exercise, exercise + supplement, and supplement). The control group had a normal diet without exercise; the supplement group received 100 ml kefir dough three meals a day for 8 weeks; the exercise group performed aerobic exercise for 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week, each for 50 minutes. The exercise + supplement group received both aerobic exercise and kefir dough. Blood and anthropometric variables were measured at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Paired t-test was used to examine the within-group variations and one-way ANOVA to examine the between-group variations. All statistical tests were performed at the significant level of P<0.05.
Ethical Considerations: This study has obtained its ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Qom University (Code: IR.QOM.REC.1398.01).
Results: The combination of kefir dough supplementation and aerobic exercise significantly reduced the mean blood pressure (P=0.003) and BMI (P=0.03) but had no significant effect on total cholesterol (P=0.27), triglycerides (P=0.61), high-density lipoprotein (P=0.16), low-density lipoprotein (P=0.30) and waist-to-hip ratio (P=0.24).
Conclusion: Overweight women can benefit from the aerobic exercise combined with kefir dough supplementation to reduce their blood pressure and BMI. Further studies are recommended to determine the effect of aerobic exercise and kefir supplementation on serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low- and high-density lipoproteins, and waist-to-hip ratio.

Background and Aim: Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of death, and its prevalence is increasing annually because of the change in lifestyle. Increased blood glucose level and dyslipidemia are the major symptoms of this metabolic disease. Currently, the main and effective treatment for diabetes is the use of medication such as insulin. Its control by using herbal products has received a lot of attention in the world. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of bioflora (a probiotic supplement) and aqueous extract of cinnamon in improvement of blood glucose level, dyslipidemia, and reduction of cardiovascular diseases in diabetic rats. 
Methods & Materials: Thirty-five male Wistar rats were prepared and randomly divided into five groups of negative control, positive control, probiotic (treated with bioflora 3.2×108 CFUs/day for 30 days), cinnamon (treated with 200 mg/kg of cinnamon aqueous extract for 30 days), and probiotic + cinnamon. Diabetes was induced by intra-peritoneally injection of streptozotocin. The rats’ weight, blood glucose level, lipid profile, high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) and Atherogenic Index (AI) were measured at the end of experiment to predict the risk of cardiovascular diseases.  
Ethical Considerations: This study ethically approved in Research Centre of Islamic Azad University of Arak (Code: IR.IAU.ARAKREC1397.005). All interventions performed in accordance with the Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources.
Results: Induction of diabetes caused severe weight lost in rats, but the weight loss was lower in groups treated with probiotic. The blood glucose level in probiotic + cinnamon group was significantly reduced. Bioflora reduced triglyceride, cholesterol, and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, while cinnamon extract significantly reduced triglyceride and LDL-C levels compared to the positive control group. AI and hs-CRP values were reduced in the probiotic group compared to control groups. There was no synergistic effect by combined use of bioflora and cinnamon extract. 
Conclusion: Bioflora effectively prevented dyslipidemia by improving intestinal microbiota, lowering blood glucose level, and improving lipid profile and, therefore, reduced the risk of cardiovascular diseases.