Study on the Effect of the Intake of a Calcium-bicarbonate Water on Cholesterol Levels

Inclusion Criteria: * healthy subjects * age 18-60 years * LDL-C values \> 116 mg/dl * not already being treated with cholesterol-lowering medications (e.g. statins, ezetimibe, monoclonal antibodies, bempedoic acid) and/or supplements (e.g. fermented red rice, coenzyme Q, folic acid, berberine, vitamin E, polyphenols from olive oil, etc.) Exclusion Criteria: * BMI \< 20 and \> 30 kg/m2 * diabetes mellitus * arterial hypertension * gastrointestinal (e.g. gastro-duodenal ulcer, ulcerative colitis, diverticulosis of the colon, etc.), liver or renal diseases * familial hypercholesterolemia * treatment with drugs that could influence lipid metabolism (estrogen replacement hormone therapy, corticosteroid therapy, insulin therapy) * Consumers of fortified foods that could influence lipid metabolism (containing n-3 fatty acids or phytosterols)