A new meta-analysis based on multiple cohort studies found that elevated concentrations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)—a gut microbiota-derived metabolite of choline, L-carnitine or betaine—were associated with increased risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality. 1 Choline, L-carnitine and betaine are metabolized by intestinal bacteria to form trimethylamine, which is then oxidized to TMAO by the enzyme flavin monooxygenase 3 in the liver. Because there is an increasing number of studies investigating the association of circulating levels of…

Recent data have indicated rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) are declining but still more than a third of all deaths in the US, and nearly half of the deaths in the EU, can be linked to heart disease. Fiber has long been proposed as a possible cardioprotectant; there have been studies that assessed dietary fiber and its effects on hypertension, obesity, increased serum cholesterol and insulin sensitivity. It has been suggested that other components of…