Scientists from Tufts University found that chemicals produced by microbes in the digestive tract may be partly responsible for the increased heart disease risk associated with higher consumption of red meats such as beef and pork.
The research is published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology and was conducted by Meng Wang et al.
Cardiovascular disease – which includes heart attacks and strokes – is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and around the world. As people age, their cardiovascular disease risk increases.
But risks can be lowered by eating a diet emphasizing fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, lean protein and fish, staying physically active, getting enough sleep, maintaining healthy body weight, not smoking and properly managing blood pressure, and cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Prior research has shown some chemical byproducts of food digestion, called metabolites, are associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk. Trimethylamine N-oxide, or TMAO, is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria to help digest red meat.
High blood levels of TMAO may be associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and Type 2 diabetes.
In the current study, researchers measured metabolites in the blood samples of nearly 4,000 people aged 65 and older.
They were followed for an average of 12.5 years and in some cases up to 26 years.
Participants answered questionnaires about their dietary habits, including how often they ate foods such as red meat, processed meat, fish, poultry and eggs.
The team found eating more meat – especially red meat and processed meat – was associated with a higher risk for heart disease. The risk was 22% higher for about every daily serving.
The increase in TMAO and related metabolites associated with eating red meat was responsible for one-tenth of the higher heart disease risk.
The team also found evidence that blood sugar levels and inflammation may play a more important role in linking red meat consumption to heart risk than blood cholesterol or blood pressure.
The findings suggest a need for more research into the different chemicals that may play a role in red meat consumption.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about an easy way to prevent heart disease, and this diabetes drug may harm your heart health.
For more information about heart disease, please see recent studies about two effective ways to quickly restore normal heart rhythm and results showing that statin drugs can do double duty on heart disease and cancer.
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