Harvard and MIT Scientists Discover Cholesterol-Busting Microbes in the Gut

Research identifies multiple types of bacteria that metabolize cholesterol in individuals with reduced cholesterol levels.
Alterations in the gut microbiome are associated with a range of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Now, a team of researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard along with Massachusetts General Hospital has found that microbes in the gut may affect cardiovascular disease as well. In a study published in Cell, the team has identified specific species of bacteria that consume cholesterol in the gut and may help lower cholesterol and heart disease risk in people.