got a big yuk from this vid, Prof Ray...irony is, that TMAO is waay more lethal biosystemically as uncured meat is eaten more often...foodrevolution.org /blog/what-is-tmao/
What Is TMAO? And Why Should You Avoid It?
Ocean Robbins 11/19/2021
TMAO (Trimethylamine-N-oxide), a compound our bodies make with raw ingredients that come from foods of animal origin. That’s where the similarity ends, though; TMAO is as worrisome and potentially hazardous ...
A Newly Discovered Dietary Hazard: TMAO
Many studies tell us that people who eat a whole foods, plant-centered diet that is low in meat and other animal products tend to live longer, and have lower rates of most of the major chronic diseases of our times — including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, and obesity.
But why? Is it cholesterol? Saturated fat? The nature of animal protein? Is it because animal products deliver heme iron — and most people are already getting too much iron? Is it because animal products represent a missed opportunity to take advantage of the fiber, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients that are so abundant in whole plant foods?
In reality, it’s probably a combination of all of these things, in conjunction with other healthier lifestyle habits. But diet-wise, there’s now a new factor to consider, and it deserves a lot more attention than it’s been getting.
TMAO, or trimethylamine-N-oxide, is a toxic compound produced by human gut bacteria. Its production can have a major impact on the development of chronic disease and overall health. In fact, the effects of TMAO are so significant that it’s being used as a medical indicator to help predict risk for heart attack, stroke, and death.
But what exactly is TMAO? Why is it so bad for you? And what can you do to prevent it from forming in the first place?
What is TMAO?
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite that your body produces if you eat certain foods. Here’s how it works: when you consume foods rich in TMAO precursor compounds, the bacteria in your gut convert them into a molecule called trimethylamine (TMA). Your liver then grabs that TMA, does some fancy chemical stuff to it (apologies for that technical sidebar), and generates TMAO.
What Foods Form TMAO in Your Body?
The dietary precursors to TMA formation, which include L-carnitine and choline, as well as betaine and lecithin, are found almost exclusively in foods of animal origin. Red meat like beef, pork, eggs, and lamb, as well as salt-water fish, lead to the highest concentrations of TMAO in our bodies. Liver, dairy products, and shellfish are also TMAO producers.
L-carnitine supplements can also increase TMAO levels in the body. One 2015 study found that when 31 patients on hemodialysis received L-carnitine supplements, it was changed to trimethylamine (TMA) by their intestinal microbiota, and then further metabolized to TMAO.
Why Is TMAO Bad for Your Health?
Researchers are discovering more and more associations between TMAO levels and the development of multiple inflammatory conditions. These include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cancer, and liver disease.
We’ve known about the connection between TMAO and heart disease for a while. People with higher levels of TMAO in their blood may have more than double the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular problems, compared with people who have lower levels.
The nutritional world was rocked in 2013 by a study in which researchers found that intestinal bacteria metabolize L-carnitine from foods like red meat and turn it into TMAO, promoting atherosclerosis. They also found that omnivores produce significantly more TMAO than vegans and vegetarians do after consuming L-carnitine.
Why would vegans and meat-eaters differ in how much TMAO they make in response to the exact same food or supplement? Because what you eat determines the makeup of your gut microbiome. If you eat meat on a regular basis, you’ve likely got a gut full of bacteria that turn TMAO precursors into TMAO. If you’re a vegan, you lack those bacteria because they can’t survive on your diet.
A 2017 multi-center study examined TMAO levels of 530 adults who went to the ER for chest pain. The data showed that the patients who had the highest TMAO levels when they arrived at the hospital were approximately six times more likely to die, have a heart attack or stroke, or need surgery on blood vessels within the next month. They were also six times more likely to die or have a heart attack within the next six months, and were twice as likely to die during the seven years of follow-up compared to the patients who presented with the lowest TMAO levels on admission.
A 2019 study found that higher TMAO levels were associated with worsened severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD) — a condition which puts people at higher risk for heart attack, stroke, and related death compared to people who don’t have the disease — and a higher risk of death from heart disease.
TMAO has also been shown to directly cause atherosclerosis, the harmful buildup of plaque in your arteries. Having higher plasma TMAO levels predicts major adverse cardiovascular events, like heart attack, stroke, and death. And TMAO appears to promote immune and inflammatory responses in the body that facilitate atherosclerosis and other heart problems.
In a 2020 meta-analysis published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, researchers examined data from seven papers, with data from nine cohort studies involving a total of 10,301 patients. They concluded that elevated plasma TMAO levels increased the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events among patients with heart disease by 58%.
Type 2 Diabetes
High TMAO levels may also interfere with blood sugar control, even to the point of increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A 2017 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition — involving 1,346 newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes and 1,348 controls — found a positive association between plasma levels of TMAO and type 2 diabetes.
This link was also found in a 2016 study, in which the authors concluded that high TMAO levels are associated with diabetes.
Another study published in 2014 examined the effects of TMAO on glucose tolerance among mice fed a high-fat diet. Based on their findings, the authors concluded that dietary TMAO worsens already-impaired glucose tolerance, interrupts signaling pathways in the liver, and promotes inflammation in fatty tissues among mice fed a high-fat diet. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that involves the worsening of kidney function. The presence of TMAO in the body may play a role in health outcomes of CKD.
One 2015 study found that CKD patients had higher concentrations of TMAO than controls without CKD. Furthermore, higher levels of circulating TMAO were associated with a worsened CKD prognosis and poorer long-term survival.
A 2016 study involving 80 controls and 179 patients with stage 3-5 CKD concluded that higher TMAO levels were associated with a higher risk for mortality.
Cancer
How much TMAO is circulating in your blood may also influence your risk for certain types of cancers.
For instance, a 2014 study found a positive correlation between higher TMAO levels and risk for colorectal cancer. The association of the two is so significant that a 2017 study called TMAO “a new prognostic marker for colorectal cancer.” The researchers found that median TMAO levels were significantly higher in patients with cancer than in the healthy controls. Plus, those who had high TMAO levels had significantly shorter disease-free survival (a measure of how long patients survive after treatment that completely eliminates symptoms, but may not “cure” the disease) compared to patients with low levels of TMAO.
But it isn’t just colorectal cancer that appears to be impacted by TMAO. A 2015 study found that excessive TMAO was related to a higher risk for aggressive forms of prostate cancer. And a 2018 study found that high blood levels of TMAO were associated with increased risk for primary liver cancer.
Why? A 2021 literature review concluded that TMAO may promote inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage — all of which could contribute to cancer mortality.
Liver Disease
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the presence of excessive fat buildup in the liver without alcohol abuse or another obvious cause. NAFLD is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, and TMAO appears to influence how bad NAFLD can become.
A 2019 study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research concluded that high levels of TMAO worsen NAFLD by interrupting signaling pathways in the liver that manage bile acid metabolism.
Plus, the authors of a 2021 cohort study called PREVEND (Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-stage Disease), in which 6,415 participants were followed for a median of 8.2 years, concluded that plasma concentrations of TMAO were independently associated with all-cause mortality in people with NAFLD.[...]
Excellent post, Ray. It's another well documented example of all the poisoning, oppression, slavery, deception, murdering and suffering We The People have been exposed to for the past 150 years at the hands of the Globalists. Looking back at the history of America, it's difficult to find any acts of kindness and good our government and corporations have accomplished that genuinely led to a better, healthy, happy existence. Look where we are today and you'll see that everything done for (and to) the population was done only to enrich the capitalists, bankers and politicians but NOT the good people of America. This is a living Hell known as the American Dream. 😥
BINGO!!! Sex figure salary for Ray on Subtract, now!!! Now, like really, dearest Substackers. The wish cum true from the Czecher in My latest P P Post Tattoo rated R, for Ray, My Best buddy to fully recover to keep sexpressing his immense knowledge and intellect, in and out, in and out, in slow mo and Replay!
Excellent.
Once money, power, control ONLY matter, people don't.
Eating has become dangerous!! Complicated.
The SLOW ...or fast kill.
Just like arsonists 'love' to see a building burn down, so these love destruction.
I love life, God's earth, beauty. Less of it, but still some.
I've no power over the rest.
got a big yuk from this vid, Prof Ray...irony is, that TMAO is waay more lethal biosystemically as uncured meat is eaten more often...foodrevolution.org /blog/what-is-tmao/
What Is TMAO? And Why Should You Avoid It?
Ocean Robbins 11/19/2021
TMAO (Trimethylamine-N-oxide), a compound our bodies make with raw ingredients that come from foods of animal origin. That’s where the similarity ends, though; TMAO is as worrisome and potentially hazardous ...
A Newly Discovered Dietary Hazard: TMAO
Many studies tell us that people who eat a whole foods, plant-centered diet that is low in meat and other animal products tend to live longer, and have lower rates of most of the major chronic diseases of our times — including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, and obesity.
But why? Is it cholesterol? Saturated fat? The nature of animal protein? Is it because animal products deliver heme iron — and most people are already getting too much iron? Is it because animal products represent a missed opportunity to take advantage of the fiber, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients that are so abundant in whole plant foods?
In reality, it’s probably a combination of all of these things, in conjunction with other healthier lifestyle habits. But diet-wise, there’s now a new factor to consider, and it deserves a lot more attention than it’s been getting.
TMAO, or trimethylamine-N-oxide, is a toxic compound produced by human gut bacteria. Its production can have a major impact on the development of chronic disease and overall health. In fact, the effects of TMAO are so significant that it’s being used as a medical indicator to help predict risk for heart attack, stroke, and death.
But what exactly is TMAO? Why is it so bad for you? And what can you do to prevent it from forming in the first place?
What is TMAO?
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite that your body produces if you eat certain foods. Here’s how it works: when you consume foods rich in TMAO precursor compounds, the bacteria in your gut convert them into a molecule called trimethylamine (TMA). Your liver then grabs that TMA, does some fancy chemical stuff to it (apologies for that technical sidebar), and generates TMAO.
What Foods Form TMAO in Your Body?
The dietary precursors to TMA formation, which include L-carnitine and choline, as well as betaine and lecithin, are found almost exclusively in foods of animal origin. Red meat like beef, pork, eggs, and lamb, as well as salt-water fish, lead to the highest concentrations of TMAO in our bodies. Liver, dairy products, and shellfish are also TMAO producers.
L-carnitine supplements can also increase TMAO levels in the body. One 2015 study found that when 31 patients on hemodialysis received L-carnitine supplements, it was changed to trimethylamine (TMA) by their intestinal microbiota, and then further metabolized to TMAO.
Why Is TMAO Bad for Your Health?
Researchers are discovering more and more associations between TMAO levels and the development of multiple inflammatory conditions. These include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cancer, and liver disease.
senior male patient in a modern hospital
iStock.com/ViktorCap
Heart Disease
We’ve known about the connection between TMAO and heart disease for a while. People with higher levels of TMAO in their blood may have more than double the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular problems, compared with people who have lower levels.
The nutritional world was rocked in 2013 by a study in which researchers found that intestinal bacteria metabolize L-carnitine from foods like red meat and turn it into TMAO, promoting atherosclerosis. They also found that omnivores produce significantly more TMAO than vegans and vegetarians do after consuming L-carnitine.
Why would vegans and meat-eaters differ in how much TMAO they make in response to the exact same food or supplement? Because what you eat determines the makeup of your gut microbiome. If you eat meat on a regular basis, you’ve likely got a gut full of bacteria that turn TMAO precursors into TMAO. If you’re a vegan, you lack those bacteria because they can’t survive on your diet.
A 2017 multi-center study examined TMAO levels of 530 adults who went to the ER for chest pain. The data showed that the patients who had the highest TMAO levels when they arrived at the hospital were approximately six times more likely to die, have a heart attack or stroke, or need surgery on blood vessels within the next month. They were also six times more likely to die or have a heart attack within the next six months, and were twice as likely to die during the seven years of follow-up compared to the patients who presented with the lowest TMAO levels on admission.
A 2019 study found that higher TMAO levels were associated with worsened severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD) — a condition which puts people at higher risk for heart attack, stroke, and related death compared to people who don’t have the disease — and a higher risk of death from heart disease.
TMAO has also been shown to directly cause atherosclerosis, the harmful buildup of plaque in your arteries. Having higher plasma TMAO levels predicts major adverse cardiovascular events, like heart attack, stroke, and death. And TMAO appears to promote immune and inflammatory responses in the body that facilitate atherosclerosis and other heart problems.
In a 2020 meta-analysis published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, researchers examined data from seven papers, with data from nine cohort studies involving a total of 10,301 patients. They concluded that elevated plasma TMAO levels increased the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events among patients with heart disease by 58%.
Type 2 Diabetes
High TMAO levels may also interfere with blood sugar control, even to the point of increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A 2017 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition — involving 1,346 newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes and 1,348 controls — found a positive association between plasma levels of TMAO and type 2 diabetes.
This link was also found in a 2016 study, in which the authors concluded that high TMAO levels are associated with diabetes.
Another study published in 2014 examined the effects of TMAO on glucose tolerance among mice fed a high-fat diet. Based on their findings, the authors concluded that dietary TMAO worsens already-impaired glucose tolerance, interrupts signaling pathways in the liver, and promotes inflammation in fatty tissues among mice fed a high-fat diet. (Our view on the use of animals in medical research is here.)
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that involves the worsening of kidney function. The presence of TMAO in the body may play a role in health outcomes of CKD.
One 2015 study found that CKD patients had higher concentrations of TMAO than controls without CKD. Furthermore, higher levels of circulating TMAO were associated with a worsened CKD prognosis and poorer long-term survival.
A 2016 study involving 80 controls and 179 patients with stage 3-5 CKD concluded that higher TMAO levels were associated with a higher risk for mortality.
Cancer
How much TMAO is circulating in your blood may also influence your risk for certain types of cancers.
For instance, a 2014 study found a positive correlation between higher TMAO levels and risk for colorectal cancer. The association of the two is so significant that a 2017 study called TMAO “a new prognostic marker for colorectal cancer.” The researchers found that median TMAO levels were significantly higher in patients with cancer than in the healthy controls. Plus, those who had high TMAO levels had significantly shorter disease-free survival (a measure of how long patients survive after treatment that completely eliminates symptoms, but may not “cure” the disease) compared to patients with low levels of TMAO.
But it isn’t just colorectal cancer that appears to be impacted by TMAO. A 2015 study found that excessive TMAO was related to a higher risk for aggressive forms of prostate cancer. And a 2018 study found that high blood levels of TMAO were associated with increased risk for primary liver cancer.
Why? A 2021 literature review concluded that TMAO may promote inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage — all of which could contribute to cancer mortality.
Liver Disease
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the presence of excessive fat buildup in the liver without alcohol abuse or another obvious cause. NAFLD is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, and TMAO appears to influence how bad NAFLD can become.
A 2019 study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research concluded that high levels of TMAO worsen NAFLD by interrupting signaling pathways in the liver that manage bile acid metabolism.
Plus, the authors of a 2021 cohort study called PREVEND (Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-stage Disease), in which 6,415 participants were followed for a median of 8.2 years, concluded that plasma concentrations of TMAO were independently associated with all-cause mortality in people with NAFLD.[...]
Excellent post, Ray. It's another well documented example of all the poisoning, oppression, slavery, deception, murdering and suffering We The People have been exposed to for the past 150 years at the hands of the Globalists. Looking back at the history of America, it's difficult to find any acts of kindness and good our government and corporations have accomplished that genuinely led to a better, healthy, happy existence. Look where we are today and you'll see that everything done for (and to) the population was done only to enrich the capitalists, bankers and politicians but NOT the good people of America. This is a living Hell known as the American Dream. 😥
Thank you, Ray Horvath.
Why don't you like Dr. Mercola? Do you think he has recently been compromised? Do you think his supplements need microscopic examination?
Who is this Mercola guy? how's he get to be a friend with Mid-west Doc?
great article, thanks
BINGO!!! Sex figure salary for Ray on Subtract, now!!! Now, like really, dearest Substackers. The wish cum true from the Czecher in My latest P P Post Tattoo rated R, for Ray, My Best buddy to fully recover to keep sexpressing his immense knowledge and intellect, in and out, in and out, in slow mo and Replay!