U.S. scientists reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that eating eggs leads to the production of a substance in the gut called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which can cause atherosclerosis in the human body and thereby increase the risk of heart disease. Therefore, eating too many eggs may affect heart health.
The study states that eggs contain lecithin, and gut bacteria break down lecithin to produce TMAO. A survey of over 4,000 patients monitored for heart disease showed that patients with the highest levels of TMAO in their bodies were 2.5 times more likely to develop a cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest levels.
Shepherd's purse scrambled eggs
Dr. Stanley Hazen, who led the research at the Cleveland Clinic in the U.S., said that testing for TMAO levels in the blood can help assess the risk of future cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, and strokes.
Previously, Dr. Hazen and his colleagues published a similar study in the journal Nature Medicine, stating that red meats such as beef, lamb, and pork are rich in carnitine, which is also broken down by bacteria in the human digestive tract into TMAO. Therefore, eating too much red meat may also increase the risk of heart disease. The researchers also reminded that many energy drinks also contain carnitine.
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