Bacteria that feast on mucus in the human gut may prove useful in controlling cholesterol levels, a new study conducted in mice and lab dishes suggests.
Akkermansia muciniphila is a bacterium that lives in humans, and primarily in mouse studies, the microbe has been linked to protection from metabolic diseases, neurological disorders and certain infections. As its name suggests, A. muciniphila mostly consumes mucins — large, sugar-rich proteins that form the bulk of the mucus that covers the lining of the intestines.
