The ace chemical products produced in the digestive tract by intestinal microbes after eating red meat can help explain some of the increased risk of heart disease (CVD) associated with the consumption of this food, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis and vascular biology.
Around the world, cardiovascular illnesses are there leading cause of death. Although the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, especially heart attack and the stroke, increases with ageother risk factors are influenced by lifestyle.
The lifestyle and behaviors known to improve cardiovascular health include consumption of healthy foodsabove all fruits there vegetables; the regular physical activity; sleep sufficient; keep one healthy body weight; stop smoking; and control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and blood sugar.
“Most of the attention to red meat consumption and health has focused on the dietary saturated fat and at the levels of cholesterol In the blood. Based on our results, new interventions may be useful to address the interactions between red meat and gut microbiota to help us find ways to reduce cardiovascular risk,” says study co-author Dr. Meng Wang, a postdoctoral researcher at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.
Previous research has shown that some metabolites (chemical by-products of food digestion) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. One of these metabolites is TMAOor trimethylamine N-oxide, which is produced by gut bacteria to digest red meat that contains high amounts of L-carnitine chemical.
Elevated levels of TMAO in the blood of humans may be associated with an increased risk of CVD, chronic kidney disease there Type 2 diabetes. However, it remains unclear whether TMAO and L-carnitine-derived metabolites may help explain the effects of red meat consumption on cardiovascular risk and to what extent they may contribute to cardiovascular risk. cardiovascular risk linked to meat consumption.
To understand these questions, the researchers who conducted this study measured the levels of the metabolites in blood samples. They also examined whether the blood sugarthe inflammationthe blood pressure and the cholesterol in the blood may explain the high cardiovascular risk associated with the consumption of red meat.
Study participants were nearly 4,000 of the 5,888 adults originally recruited between 1989 and 1990 for the US Cardiovascular Health Study. Participants selected for this study were free of clinical cardiovascular disease at the time of registration.
The average age of participants at the time of registration was 73 years old, nearly two-thirds of participants were female, and 88% of participants identified as white. The median duration of participant follow-up was 12.5 years, and up to 26 years in some cases.
At follow-up appointments, medical history, lifestylethe terms of Health and the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, such as family incomeeducation and age.
Various blood biomarkers were measured at the start of the study and again in 1996-1997. Fasting blood samples stored frozen at -80°C were tested for levels of various gut microbiomes linked to the consumption of red meat, such as TMAO, gamma-butyrobetaine and crotonobetaine.
In addition, all study participants completed two validated food frequency questionnaires regarding their usual eating habitsincluding consumption of red meat, processed meat, fish, poultry and eggs, at the start of the study and again between 1995 and 1996.
In the first questionnaire, the participants indicated with what frequency, average in the last 12 months, had ate certain amounts various foods, from “never” to “almost every day or at least five times a week”based on average portion size, which varied by food source.
In the second questionnaire, a frequency of ten average intake categories over the past 12 months, ranging from “never or less than once a month” to “more than six servings a day”, with standard serving sizes defined.
For the analyses, the researchers compared the risk of cardiovascular disease in participants who ate different amounts of animal feed (i.e. red meat, processed meat, fish, chicken and eggs).
Results
They discovered that eat more meatparticularly red meat and processed meat, was associated with a increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: 22% increased risk for every 1.1 servings per day.
According to the authors, the increase in TMAO and related metabolites found in the blood accounted for about a tenth of this elevated risk. They also pointed out that the blood sugar and general pathways of inflammation may help explain the links between red meat consumption and cardiovascular disease.
Blood sugar and inflammation also appear to be more important in the link between red meat consumption and cardiovascular disease than pathways related to blood cholesterol or blood pressure. consumption of fish, poultry and eggs were not combined significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Research is needed to better understand the potential health effects of L-carnitine and other substances found in red meat, such as heme ironwhich was associated with Type 2 diabetesinstead of just focusing on saturated fat,” says Wang.