If this pans out we might be able to get at the root cause of atherosclerosis rather than attacking the quantity of circulating cholesterol. Your doctor should put this post and the previous one on TMAO together to create a stroke prevention protocol.
http://news.yahoo.com/targeting-gut-microbes-could-lower-risk-heart-disease-024208234.html
A few selected paragraphs;
For the first time, researchers
find a compound in some red wines and olive oils can interfere with gut
microbes in ways that could potentially help to prevent heart disease in
humans.
This new study, which was done in mice, also might reveal why the Mediterranean diet, which usually includes olive oil and red wine, is healthy for the heart, the scientists said.
In the study, the researchers targeted the mice's gut microbes with a
compound called DMB,— which naturally occurs in some cold-pressed extra
virgin olive oils, red wines, balsamic vinegars and grape seed oils. The
scientists found that the DMB treatment suppressed atherosclerosis,
which is a hardening of the arteries, from developing in the mice
without resulting in toxic side effects.
"This new approach shows that one can target microbes to inhibit
atherosclerosis," said study senior author Dr. Stanley Hazen, section
head of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. [10 Amazing Facts About Your Heart]
Foods that contain DMB are often found in the so-called Mediterranean diet, which reduces the risk of heart disease.
These new findings suggest that the benefits of the Mediterranean diet
may stem from its effects on gut microbe activity, the researchers said.
The DMB treatment works by slowing down the microbes' production of
another compound, called TMA. Normally, when gut microbes digest
nutrients such as choline, lecithin and carnitine, they excrete TMA,
which, in turn, gets converted by the human body into a molecule called
TMAO.
No comments:
Post a Comment