By understanding the gut-heart connection, you can take steps to keep both healthy.
by Marygrace Taylor Health Writer
THERE’S A WONDERFUL world that is home to millions of bacteria living inside you—it’s your gut, also known as gut flora or your microbiome. These bacteria perform many different functions in the body: strengthening your immune system, neutralizing toxins, stimulating digestion and absorption of nutrients, and discouraging the growth of “bad” bacteria.
What’s more, a mounting body of evidence shows that some of these bacteria functions can impact your cardiovascular system. After reviewing the science, researchers reported in EBioMedicine that the microbiome is almost like an endocrine organ, generating metabolic chemicals that impact how the body—and the heart—functions.
It’s All About Metabolites
Some of these metabolic chemicals, called metabolites, “can secrete into our bodies various substances that can foster inflammation and contribute to heart disease,” explains Robert Greenfield, M.D., double board-certified cardiologist and lipidologist at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. On the other hand, other metabolites, produce by so-called “good bacteria,” are beneficial for your body and heart, says Rabia DeLatour, M.D., gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health in New York City.
As it turns out, “what we eat determines which group is dominant,” Dr. Greenfield says. Here's how it works: The bacteria in your gut feed off different nutrients. For instance, some bacteria feed off of choline and carnitine (two nutrients found in high-fat dairy, eggs, and red meat). When they do, these bacteria release a chemical known as trimethylamine, or TMA. The liver then takes that TMA and turns it into trimethylamine-N-oxide, or TMAO, in your blood..
The problem: More and more studies are tying higher levels of TMAO to a higher risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and death. In fact, people with the highest blood TMAO levels are 62% more likely to have heart problems compared to those with the lowest levels, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Other research has yielded similar findings. Over the course of 10 years, women with the greatest TMAO increases in their blood had a 67% higher chance for developing heart disease compared to women whose TMAO levels rose the least, found a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. That high TMAO group was also more likely to eat a diet rich in animal products and low in vegetables.
Other gut bacteria raise the risk for heart disease in less-direct ways. For instance, certain microbes are associated with a higher risk for problems like obesity and type 2 diabetes, and having either—or both—of those conditions can greatly increase a person’s chances for things like heart attack, high blood pressure, or stroke.
Some Bacteria Are Beneficial
On the other hand, the microbiome may improve cardiovascular health as well. For instance, as gut bacteria process the food we eat, they produce other metabolites like short chain fatty acids or SCFAs, De Latour explains. SCFAs seem to be involved in modulating blood pressure. When there are higher levels of SCFAs, hypertension risk may be decreased. They also play an important role in keeping bad bacteria in check. In addition, high levels of certain SCFAs, like butyrate (which is found in asparagus, garlic, and oat bran—to name a few foods), improve the immune system’s ability to control inflammation.
Eating for Better Health
Luckily, you have some control over the bacteria living in your gut and whether it is the helpful or unhelpful variety. When it comes to gut and heart health, you truly are what you eat. “Supply the microbiome with good foods and the good microbes will survive and serve you well,” Dr. Greenfield says. “Feed it with bad foods and the harmful microbes will unfortunately prevail.”
To give your gut a head start on heart health, follow these expert tips:
Have more plant protein and less red meat. Vegetarians and vegans tend to have lower blood levels of TMAO compared to meat eaters. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to go 100% plant-based. But it’s worth making plant proteins like beans, nuts, whole grains, and soy your dietary mainstays and having animal foods like red meat, eggs, and dairy less often. When you’re in the mood for something meaty, seafood and white meat like poultry are better choices.
Think Mediterranean. To stop your bacteria from making TMA, begin eating foodstuff containing DMB (3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol), a natural substance that is structurally similar to choline but has the opposite effect. It reduces TMAO levels in the blood, and as a result, fewer clogged arteries are created, explains Dr. Greenfield. DMB can be found in some vinegars and olive and grapeseed oils.
A Cleveland Clinic study suggested that one way to alter your gut flora and incorporate plenty of DMB into your diet is to follow the Mediterranean diet, a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and fish. The clinical trial linked eating a Mediterranean diet to a 30% lower rate of stroke, heart attack, and death from heart-related causes.
Boost your fiber intake. Reach for high-fiber foods like beans, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and nuts more often. Fiber fosters good bacteria in the gut and encourage them to produce more short-chain fatty acids. In fact, patients with heart failure who eat high-fiber diets have healthier microbiomes compared to those who don’t get enough roughage. Findings show this is tied to a lower risk of death or heart transplant.
Consider a probiotic. The jury’s still out on whether a probiotic supplement will help your heart. But some evidence shows that Lactobaciullus probiotics are tied to better blood pressure regulation, and researchers are studying whether probiotic yeasts like Saccharomyces boulardii are tied to better outcome for heart patients. If you’re thinking about supplementing, talk with your doctor to determine what strain of probiotics might be the most helpful for your health goals.
The gut-heart connection is just another instance that illustrates how your body parts are intimately interconnected. By understanding this relationship and taking the steps outlined above, you can keep both the heart and the gut healthy.
Fonte: Health Central
