In a study involving 900 Dutch adults, it was found that some intestinal bacteria could help determine not only body fat levels, but also blood concentrations of HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides.
A close relationship!
This is the first study to offer "solid evidence" linking intestinal bacteria with cholesterol and triglyceride levels, said Jingyuan Fu, associate professor of Genetics at the University Medical Center of Groningen, in the Netherlands.
Although it is too early to recommend the use of probiotic supplements for the prevention of heart disease, these results add to the growing evidence that the gut microbiome plays an …show more content…
Studies also suggest that when the microbiome lacks diversity it can contribute to health problems such as obesity, asthma and type 1 diabetes.
This latest study "provides important information for our understanding of the gut microbiome and health risks, in particular, of cardiovascular diseases," said Dr. Lea Chen, gastroenterologist and microbiome researcher at the Langone Medical Center at New York University. (NYU) in the city of New York.
They affect your figure
The findings, which appear in the September 10 issue of Circulation Research, were based on 893 adults between 18 and 80 years old. Fu's team analyzed fecal samples to obtain a snapshot of each person's gut microbiome.
In general, the researchers found 34 types of bacteria that were related to triglycerides and HDL levels of people, and with body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to