Blood sugar, general inflammation, and microbiome-related metabolites like TMAO seem to be more crucial in regulating heart disease risk than blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Is there a link between consuming more meat, particularly red and processed meat, and an increased risk of cardiovasc
The study also found that consuming fish, poultry, and eggs was not associated with heart disease.
The link between heart disease and saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, sodium, nitrites, and even high-temperature cooking has been studied by scientists over the years, but the evidence for many of these mechanisms has not been strong. Recent data points to specific metabolites produced by our gut bacteria when we consume meat as the potential underlying culprits.
The research drew on years of data from the National Institutes of Health’s Cardiovascular Health Study , a long-term observational study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Americans aged 65 and older. Several blood biomarkers were measured at baseline and again during follow-up, including levels of the gut-microbiome generated trimethylamine N-oxide and two of its key intermediates, gamma-butyrobetaine, and crotonobetaine, derived from L-carnitine, abundant in red meat.
“Interestingly, we identified three major pathways that help explain the links between red and processed meat and cardiovascular disease—microbiome-related metabolites like TMAO, blood glucose levels, and general inflammation—and each of these appeared more important than pathways related to blood cholesterol or blood pressure,” said co-senior author, Dariush Mozaffarian, dean for policy at the Friedman School.
Ahmed Hasan, a medical officer and program director in the Atherothrombosis & Coronary Artery Disease Branch at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the NIH, agrees. “While more studies are needed, the current reports provide a potential new target for preventing or treating heart disease in a subgroup of people who consume excessive amounts of red meat,” said Hasan, who was not a part of the study.
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