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Journalism of Courage
Nowadays, we hear many conversations on gut bacteria being the pivot of our health and well-being, impacting our key lifestyle markers like cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides, body fat and haemoglobin. In fact, latest research by the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, along with Massachusetts General Hospital, has found that specific bacteria in the gut can chew up cholesterol, lowering its levels in the blood and consequently eliminating the risk of plaque formation in the heart arteries.
Over a decade-long study, researchers found that people who had Oscillibacter bacteria in their gut had lower cholesterol levels than those with poor levels of the same.
They break down cholesterol so that it cannot be absorbed into your bloodstream. Rather the end product passes through your stool. Earlier research has also shown similar effects. Several strains of Lactobacillus bacteria — a common gut bacteria — entrap cholesterol from their surroundings and incorporate it into their membranes. This is another way of eliminating cholesterol from your bloodstream.
Oscillibacter bacteria influence bile acids, which are essential for fat digestion and absorption. Once they finish their functions, bile acids return to the liver for recycling. But some amount remains in the gut, becoming the food for gut bacteria and growing them. In this process, the gut bacteria break down bile acids into secondary bile acids, which regulate cholesterol metabolism.
Furthermore, bacteria break down dietary fibres through fermentation and produce short chain fatty acids. These inhibit cholesterol formation and keep their levels low.
Probiotics containing Oscillibacter strains or foods that promote Oscillibacter growth and activity should be included in your daily diet. Probiotics exist in fermented foods like natural yogurt, cheese and kimchi. Animal studies have already hinted that some probiotic strains might help manage cholesterol levels. One study showed how test subjects, who had Lactobacillus bacteria-enriched yogurt twice a day for six weeks, had an almost five per cent reduction in overall cholesterol and a nearly nine per cent reduction in low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. How long people take probiotics and how much they take are likely to make a difference, too.
In a 2018 meta-analysis, researchers found that people who took probiotics reduced their total cholesterol level by 13 per cent. Most of these studies used probiotics containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis, which come in capsules or powders and are consumed daily.
Probiotics can influence our cholesterol levels by reducing the absorption of cholesterol from our food and reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver. Based on more studies and going forward, treatments could include targetted diets, probiotics or new drugs derived from the molecules these bacteria produce.
