Intestinal microbiota (“gut flora”), comprised of trillions of typically non-pathogenic commensal organisms, serve as a filter for our greatest environmental exposure - what we eat. Gut flora play an essential role, aiding in the digestion and absorption of many nutrients9. Animal studies have recently shown that intestinal microbial communities can influence the efficiency of harvesting energy from diet, and consequently influence susceptibility for obesity10. Metabolomics studies of inbred mouse strains have also recently shown that gut microbiota may play an active role in the development of complex metabolic abnormalities, such as susceptibility to insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease11. A link between gut flora dependent phospholipid metabolism and atherosclerosis risk through generation of pro-atherosclerotic metabolites has not yet been reported.