To cut the red meat

Here’s why you need

Warnings about red meat have been put about, but here’s another: consuming red meat has been linked to high levels of a chemical that is also linked to heart disease.

The chemical trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is generated in the gut—and linked to heart disease.

Scientists have found people who eat a diet rich in red meat have triple the TMAO levels of those who eat a diet rich in either white meat or mostly plant-based proteins.

But cutting out the red meat eventually lowers those TMAO levels.

TMAO is a dietary byproduct that is formed by gut bacteria during digestion and is derived in part from nutrients that are abundant in red meat.

While high saturated fat levels in red meat have long been known to contribute to heart disease, a growing number of studies have identified TMAO as another culprit.

Until now, researchers knew little about how typical dietary patterns influence TMAO production or elimination.

The findings suggest that measuring and targeting TMAO levels--something doctors can do with a simple blood test--may be a promising new strategy for individualizing diets and helping to prevent heart disease. The study is published in the European Heart Journal. “These findings reinforce current dietary recommendations that encourage all ages to follow a heart-healthy eating plan that limits red meat,” said Charlotte Pratt, project officer the study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

“This means eating a variety of foods, including more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy foods, and plant-based protein sources such as beans and peas.”