Chemical found in red meat linked to heart disease

US scientists linked L-carnitine, a chemical found in red meat, to heart disease.

09:16 09 April 2013

Nutritionists and medical professionals always say that eating too much red meat isn’t good for the body and now, we know why.

A study in the journal Nature Medicine that was conducted by US scientists reveals that a certain chemical called L-carnitine that can be found in red meat is potentially harmful as it can causes heart disease, strokes, and even death. 

The nutrient damages the heart when it is broken down in the gut to produce trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a potentially dangerous compound. High levels of TMAO is linked to artery damage which often results to strokes, heart attack, heart disease, and other health problems.

 

Dr Hazen, from the Cleveland Clinic, said TMAO was often ignored: "It may be a waste product but it is significantly influencing cholesterol metabolism and the net effect leads to an accumulation of cholesterol.

 

"The findings support the idea that less red meat is better.”

 

"I used to have red meat five days out of seven, now I have cut it way back to less than once every two weeks or so."