12 October 2013

Why red meat is harmful to us?

Research conducted by the Cleveland Clinic on the diets of 2,600 patients with heart disease found that a substance inside red meat called carnitine would be gasified by bacteria in the intestine and then transformed into trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) inside the liver. This substance can enhance “bad” cholesterol level inside the body and cause the accumulation of fats in the blood vessels, leading to cardiac vascular occlusion.

It was found that the number of intestinal bacteria is directly proportional to the amount of red meat intake, i.e. carnitine can promote the development of bacteria.

When researchers compared the level of intestinal bacteria between vegetarians and meat eaters, they found that the level of the former is much lower than that of the latter. Beef, pork and lamb all contain high amount of carnitine. But we do not need it. This substance is not an essential nutrient. Besides red meat, some drinks or processed foods also contain this substance. And so be careful about what you eat and drink.

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