Health

Over the years, so much has been learned—and unlearned—about the waxy substance known as cholesterol. We have heard that cholesterol-rich eggs and shrimp are to be avoided, only to later be told that dietary cholesterol does not influence blood cholesterol levels, and that a few eggs or a helping of the tasty crustaceans per week is okay. Now, exercise and diet do play a role in addressing cholesterol, with pharmaceutical intervention via statins as necessary, but researchers have discovered one more way to possibly manage cholesterol—the microbiome. How can gut bacteria influence human cholesterol levels?