Fighting ‘bad’ cholesterol through astronaut food research

As part of its search for the perfect mix of ingredients for astronaut food, the MELiSSA project tested a bacterium, codenamed Red, for safety at the Dutch TNO research institute. The bacterium was shown to be safe and nutritious but also, remarkably, to cut levels of LDL cholesterol – the ‘bad’ cholesterol. What started as a food that astronauts could grow themselves is showing potential for lowering cholesterol levels around the world: space research has found a bacterium that can reduce cholesterol levels by half.