Compound in Red Meat Linked to Heart Disease

There has been debate over the health effects of red meat since time immemorial. A recent finding fuels the argument of the harmful effects of red meat. The study claims that excess consumption of red meat clogs the arteries.

According to the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, the presence of a dietary compound present in red meat, which is also often used as an ingredient in several energy drinks, has been found as the main cause for atherosclerosis, or the hardening of arteries.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, states that bacteria present in the digestive tract of humans is responsible for converting the compound carnitine, present in red meat, into trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). Prior to this study, the team had linked TMAO to atherosclerosis in people.

"A diet high in carnitine actually shifts our gut microbe composition to those that like carnitine, making meat eaters even more susceptible," author Stanley Hazen, the section head of Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation at the Cleveland Clinic, was quoted as saying in The Washington Post.

In order to prove the hypothesis, researchers analyzed 2,595 people who were undergoing heart check ups. They checked the carnitine levels along with its byproduct TMAO. When compared to vegetarians and vegans, omnivores produced greater amounts of TMAO.

According to a statement by the University of Maryland, though traces of carnitine can be found in fish, poultry, wheat and vegetables, the main source of it is red meat.  

Apart from this, they also found that TMAO triggered heart disease in mice. They fed mice with high levels of TMAO and noticed that it led to the hardening of arteries. Since vegetarians and vegans don't consume red meat, they have lower levels of gut bacteria that play the role of converting the compound to TMAO, thereby lowering the risk of heart diseases.