Nanjing University researchers recently reported in Cell Research that plant microRNAs could be found in the sera and tissues of animals that eat those plants. Further, they found that MIR168a, which is found in rice, can bind to the human/mouse low-density lipoprotein receptor adapter protein mRNA and prevent its expression in liver, decreasing LDL removal from the bloodstream. "Like vitamins and minerals, microRNA may represent a previously unrecognized type of functional molecule obtained from food," says Anne-Marie C. Hodge at Scientific American.