Key points from article :
Researchers found bacterial species that consume cholesterol in the gut and help lower cholesterol and heart disease risk.
The Framingham Heart Study analyzed metabolites and microbial genomes from over 1,400 participants.
People with higher levels of Oscillibacter found to have lower cholesterol levels.
Pinpointing cholesterol-metabolizing enzymes paves the way for the discovery of other similar pathways impacted by gut microbes.
The findings could help develop targeted treatments for cholesterol.
Large-scale analysis of gut bacteria and metabolites revealed the connection.
Bacteria converted cholesterol into intermediate products that can then be broken down by other bacteria and excreted from the body.
Found another gut bacterial species, Eubacterium, that might have a synergistic effect with Oscillibacter on cholesterol levels.
This approach could be used to find other microbe-based health benefits.
Study by Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard along with Massachusetts General Hospital, published in Cell.
