GUT INSTINCT

The bacteria in your gut may be linked to more than you think

THIS week: Cholesterol levels

SOME bacteria in our gut help reduce cholesterol. A recent study by Harvard University in the US showed that certain bacteria carry a gene that means they break down cholesterol, which in turn lowers levels in our blood.

People with this bacteria had cholesterol levels that were, on average, 0.15 units lower. ‘To see how well the particular genes and organisms we found correlated with metabolism and cholesterol levels in people was really exciting,’ said Emily Balskus, a professor of chemical biology at Harvard.

She added that the long-term goal would be cholesterol-lowering treatments based around gut bacteria. Currently, cholesterol is treated with statins.