Less-Studied Chemical
After some heart patients arrived at Cleveland Clinic, the doctor
concerned and his team studied the cause of heart problems in non-vegetarians.
These heart patients were complaining of a heart stroke after they had 8-ounce
steaks at a local restaurant. They were six and were out to have dinner.
Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic and his colleagues observed
that red meat may be responsible for heart disease. In an early morning
experiment, the team discovered that red meat led to heart stroke in these
patients.
They realized through the experiments that saturated fat and
cholesterol played a minor role in heart attack. The major contribution came
from a little-studied chemical, TMAO. A chemical is exuded out by bacteria in
the intestines after the intake of red meat. This chemical is finally converted
into TMAO that enters the blood and risks the heart of many people.
The theory has been confirmed by the samples available from these six
patients who were admitted in the hospital. The researchers also studied
samples taken from vegetarians and discovered that the chemical was not found
in them.
Dr. Daniel J. Rader, a heart disease researcher at the University Of
Pennsylvania School Of Medicine, said, "It's really a beautiful
combination of mouse studies and human studies to tell a story I find quite
plausible".
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