It’s rather amusing, to position this story right after the previous one. But gene engineers have come up with a tomato which benefits (lowers) LDL cholesterol levels.
In fact 2 studies just published also concerned cholesterol (that’s in addition to the one I just commented on, using IV infusions of “good” cholesterol).
Study 1
In the first study, people who took a probiotic supplement containing a beneficial bacteria saw their cholesterol levels improve, and in the second study a freeze-dried concoction made from a genetically engineered tomato had a similar effect on mice.
In study number one, 127 people with high cholesterol took a twice-daily supplement of a special strain of the Lactobacillus reuteri bacterium for nine weeks. They experienced an average 11.6 percent drop in LDL “bad” cholesterol and a 9.1 percent drop in total cholesterol, compared to those taking a placebo.
That’s better than statins!
Other strains of L. reuteri are found naturally in breads and yogurts, but researchers at the Canadian probiotics company Micropharma, which funded the study, say they’ve formulated a strain that seems to help block the absorption of cholesterol. Yeah, well, they would say that.
The strain, called L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 is going to be marketed as Cardioviva.
Study 2.
A second study looked at a genetically engineered tomato that produces a peptide (a type of protein) that mimics the effect of HDL “good” cholesterol when eaten.
I don’t need to worry that this is a false finding. It could well be true. But that doesn’t make it good for us. Out human microbiome, down in the gut, has tens of thousands of organisms, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa and parasites. There are MILLIONS of genes down there in our guts.
So much so that there are more genes in our human microbiome than we humans possess for ourselves. The most amazing scientific breakthrough in the last 10 years has been the sudden recognition of the fact that THESE MICROBIAL GENES TELL OUR BODIES WHAT TO DO!
It’s wild science—but exciting.
My point is that what happens in a mouse intestine has very little relevance, if any, to what will work on the human “eco-system”.
For more understanding of this new discovery and how humans are really a “super-organism” consisting of our tissues and cells PLUS thousands of other species, and how this composite behaves so differently, you need to get my latest book “Fire In The Belly”.
You can get a copy here: http://www.fireinthebellybook.com
Understand that many problem of health and medicine have been cracked, once we come to understand the nature of the human microbiome.
You will also come to fully understand the nightmare of antibiotic resistance and what damage the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics have done to our species, over the years.
More on that in another of my books: “How To Survive In A World Without Antibiotics”.
You can read more about that one on this page:
[CITATION: as previous article]