It’s no secret that a high-fat, high-cholesterol “junk food” diet has been linked to major health problems, including high blood cholesterol and the buildup of plaques in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Now new research has identified a pathway in the liver, controlled by a protein known as BAF60a, that contributes to these negative effects by stimulating the production of bile—which helps the body to absorb more cholesterol and other fats from the foods we eat.