Science reveals how red meat harms the heart | Health, Medicine and Fitness
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Amy norton
WEDNESDAY, December 29, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Red meat lovers may increase their risk of heart disease through a chain of events that take place in the gut, suggests a new study.
Over the years, many studies have linked diets high in red and processed meats to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. However, this type of evidence doesn’t prove that red meat is the problem – or, if so, why.
The new findings offer more clues as to the “why”.
Researchers have found that particular gut bacteria, more abundant in red meat eaters, are essential for turning a dietary nutrient called carnitine into an enemy: a chemical known as TMAO, which helps promote blood clotting. and blocked arteries.
For the average person, the information reinforces what is already known about a heart-healthy diet, said study co-author Dr Stanley Hazen, who heads the Center for the Microbiome and Human Health. from the Cleveland Clinic.
In particular, he highlighted the traditional Mediterranean diet, which has been shown in clinical trials to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
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This diet is high in fish, fruits and vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and nuts, and low in red meat and processed foods.
The new study was published on December 23 in Natural microbiology. He is among the latest to explore the relationship between diet, the gut microbiome and human health.
The “microbiome” refers to the large collection of bacteria and other microbes that naturally inhabit the human body, particularly the intestine. Research in recent years has begun to reveal how vital these gut microbes are, not only for digestion, but also for immune system defenses, brain function, and cardiovascular health.
It’s well established, Hazen said, that people with a diet high in red meat generally have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke than those who eat little red meat.
The traditional suspect was saturated fat, found almost exclusively in animal products. Saturated fat can increase “bad” LDL cholesterol, which contributes to cardiovascular disease.
But, said Hazen, research has shown that the damaging effects of saturated fat are not enough to explain the excessive risks of heart disease associated with high consumption of red meat. There had to be other mechanisms.
The new findings point to one, said Lauri Wright, president of nutrition and dietetics at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville.
There’s still a lot to learn about the gut microbiome, said Wright, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But in general, she said, diets high in foods like vegetables, fruits and high-fiber grains help “feed” beneficial gut microbes.
âIt always comes down to the food,â Wright said.
Hazen also said he was a “big supporter” of using diet to alter the gut microbiome, rather than adding certain bugs through probiotic supplements.
âChanging your diet changes the soilâ that nourishes the gut microbes, he explained.
The latest findings build on earlier work by Hazen and his colleagues focusing on TMAO. The chemical is generated when gut bacteria break down carnitine, a nutrient particularly abundant in red meat.
Researchers had previously shown that TMAO appears to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. And in a 2019 study, they found that adding red meat to healthy people’s diets for a short time increases TMAO blood levels. However, these levels fell when red meat was replaced with white meat or vegetable protein.
In the latest study, involving both humans and lab mice, researchers found that a group of gut bacteria – within a group called Emergencia timonensis – transform carnitine into TMAO. While meat eaters are home to a decent amount of these microbes, lifelong vegetarians and vegans have very few.
In experiments with mice, the researchers found that the introduction of E. timonensis increased TMAO levels and the propensity of the blood to form clots.
The researchers also analyzed stool samples from people who participated in the 2019 Diet Study. They found that when participants ate a lot of red meat, their stools harbored more of the culprit. E. timonensis microbes; when they switched to non-meaty protein sources, those microbial levels plummeted.
There are blood tests available to measure people’s TMAO levels. And Hazen said these could potentially allow healthcare providers to give patients more personal dietary advice: If a person’s TMAO levels were high, limiting red meat would be especially important.
But what you take in, Wright noted, is as important as what you limit. She said fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi, which contain certain microbes, can be good choices. But again, she stressed, a holistic diet is the key to maintaining a healthy gut.
The American Heart Association provides advice on healthy eating for the heart.
SOURCES: Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, director, Center for the Microbiome and Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio; Lauri Wright, PhD, RDN, Assistant Professor, President, Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida; Natural microbiology, 23 December 2021, online
This article originally appeared on consumer.healthday.com.
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