Red Meat Nutrient May Increase Heart Attack Risk

Scientists in the United States may have found yet another relationship between heart attack risk and red meat consumption. This time, the culprits are not saturated fat or cholesterol, but a specific nutrient.

Known as carnitine, this nutrient ends up being devoured by bacteria in our stomach. This process releases a gas that, when absorbed by the liver, ends up being transformed into a chemical known as TMAO, which is directly related to the accumulation of fat in blood vessels and, consequently, to the development of cardiovascular disease.

In an interview with the BBC, research leader Dr. Stanley Hazen says the finding strengthens the idea that red meat consumption should be reduced. To try to prevent this, the researchers also hypothesized using a special yogurt to shrink this type of bacteria in the stomach, which would eventually diminish the effect of TMAO.

Still according to the news network, vegetarians and vegans already have a smaller number of these bacteria in the body, compared to omnivores.