An Enzyme A Day...

Perhaps someday, lowering choles-terol may be as easy as 
taking a pill or sprinkling salt on food. 

That's the hope of animal scientist Donald Beitz and his 
research colleagues. They have successfully used rare 
bacteria to reduce the blood cholesterol concentrations in 
laboratory rabbits. The results indicate the bacteria also 
should work for humans.

The naturally occurring intestinal bacteria produce an enzyme 
that converts cholesterol into coprostanol, a harmless 
compound that's eliminated with the body's wastes. Beitz 
theorizes that if the bacteria are introduced into the small 
intestine, such as in a pill or capsule, they will colonize 
and grow along with other bacteria and decrease the amount of 
cholesterol absorbed by the body.

"There could be the day when one could take a pill and 
significantly decrease for a week or more the amount of 
cholesterol the body absorbs," Beitz explained. He also 
believes the enzyme could be taken at mealtime by sprinkling 
it on food like salt or pepper. 

In recent tests, Beitz fed rabbits high-cholesterol diets, 
significantly raising their cholesterol levels. Rabbits given 
the bacteria had a 27 percent reduction in cholesterol 
concentrations compared with a control group that received 
dead bacteria.

Beitz has been awarded a patent for the use of the bacteria 
to lower cholesterol.

While national attention seems to be on lowering dietary fat 
intake, cutting the amount of cholesterol also is advised by 
health experts. Cholesterol can clog Cholesterol -- continued 
on page 9
coronary arteries and lead to heart attacks.

"A low-cholesterol diet is recommended," said Wendy White, an 
ISU nutritional scientist who added that the United States 
has one of the world's highest heart disease rates. She said 
eggs, shrimp and liver all are high in cholesterol, but 
cholesterol is present in all animal food products, like meat 
and milk. In addition, the body naturally produces 
cholesterol, which also could be reduced by Beitz's bacteria.

Cholesterol-reducing drugs are on the market, but like all 
drugs, Beitz said, they have side effects. He believes using 
harmless bacteria that grow naturally in humans is 
preferable. 

"We'll have to do some genetic engineering to commercially 
produce the enzyme," Beitz explained. 

If successful, it may lead to the dinner table statement, 
"Please pass the enzyme."

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contact:  Steve Jones, News Service, (515) 294-4778
updated:  9-28-95