Cholesterol-gobbling gut bacteria could protect against heart disease

Bacteria present in some people's guts may help break down cholesterol, making them less susceptible to heart disease, a new study suggests.

Now, a study published April 2 in the journal Cell has shown that bacteria in the genus Oscillibacter break down cholesterol and that people who carry more of those bacteria have lower cholesterol levels than people with fewer of those microbes.Uncovering the bacteria that metabolize cholesterol is"very interesting and exciting," Daoming Wang, a researcher at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, told Live Science in an email.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The team used different techniques to profile the microbial DNA in the stool samples. They also analyzed metabolites — the byproducts left over when chemicals like cholesterol break down. For each participant, the team then correlated these findings with known markers of heart health, like blood-borne cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The researchers then tracked the fate of the gobbled cholesterol and found that different bacterial species broke it down into various steroids. These steroids could be absorbed by other gut bacteria, resulting in decreased cholesterol levels overall.

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

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