Understanding the human body is a team effort. That's where the Yachtel group comes in.

Researchers at Yachtolt have been delving into the secrets of probiotics for 90 years.

Yacold also partners with nature portfolio to advance gut microbiome science through the global grants for gut health, an investigator-led research program.

To learn more about Yachtolt, visit yawcult.co.

.jp. That's Y-A-K-U-L-T.C-O.J-P. When it comes to a guide for your gut, count on Yacolt.

Hi, and welcome to Your Health Quickly, a scientific American podcast series.

On this show, we highlight the latest vital health news, discoveries that affect your body

and your mind. Every episode, we dive into one topic. We discuss diseases, treatments, and some

controversies. And we demystify the medical research in ways you can use to stay healthy.

I'm Tanya Lewis.

I'm Josh Fishman.

We are Scientific American Senior Health Editors.

On the show today, we've got some surprising news about cholesterol.

The so-called good kind is supposed to protect your heart and arteries,

but it actually makes things worse under certain

circumstances, and doctors are just figuring this out.

You go to the doctor for an annual checkup, right, Tanya? Yeah, sure, as any good health editor would.

Me too. You get asked a bunch of personal questions, a cold stethoscope on your skin, and the doctor

draw some blood for some standard lab tests.

Among those tests, when you get them back, are two cholesterol numbers.

Right.

One is your level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL?

...