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What foods plug your arteries?

The study, published Aug. 13 in Science, suggests that consuming food rich in saturated fat and choline - a nutrient found in red meat, eggs and dairy products - increases the number of metabolites that build plaques in the arteries.

What salad dressings are keto?
What salad dressings are keto?

The best homemade keto salad dressings Mayonnaise. This condiment contains egg yolks, Dijon mustard, avocado or olive oil, lemon juice, and white...

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Does cottage cheese stop ketosis?
Does cottage cheese stop ketosis?

Cottage cheese can be a keto-friendly protein option, but ideally, you should choose full fat, plain cottage cheese. For a healthy, low carb snack,...

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We all know that fatty foods are linked to blocked arteries and a higher risk for heart disease, but why or how the food becomes toxic has remained a mystery, until now. New research involving UC Davis Health may provide an answer. New study explains why fatty food harms the body The study, published Aug. 13 in Science, suggests that consuming food rich in saturated fat and choline - a nutrient found in red meat, eggs and dairy products - increases the number of metabolites that build plaques in the arteries. It also points to a possible drug that can block the effects of the high-fat diet on the gut and the arteries. “Our study shows how a high-fat diet disrupts the bacterial balance in the gut and leads to the production of harmful substances implicated in cardiovascular diseases,” said Andreas Bäumler, professor of medical microbiology and immunology at UC Davis Health and co-lead author on the study.

The gut-heart connection

A healthy gut has an anaerobic environment suitable for good bacteria. The mitochondria in the cells of the intestinal lining serve as the power engines burning oxygen. Previous studies have shown that a high-fat diet disrupts the work of the mitochondria in the gut. This disruption shuts the engine’s ability to burn oxygen, leading to oxygen leakage into the intestine. Higher oxygen levels in the gut promote bacterial imbalances. The good bacteria get replaced by harmful microbes, such as E-coli, that are more oxygen tolerant. “It was known that exposure to a high-fat diet causes dysbiosis — an imbalance in the microbiota favoring harmful microbes, but we didn’t know why or how this was happening,” said Mariana X. Byndloss, co-lead author and assistant professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Choline is a common component of a Western-style high-fat diet. When bacteria in the gut break down food containing choline, they produce a metabolite known as trimethylamine (TMA). TMA is made in the gut but oxidized and converted in the liver into TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide). The study showed that the microbiota does not break down choline when it is consumed with a low-fat diet. But saturated fatty acids present in a high-fat diet weaken the intestinal lining’s ability to balance the microbiota and prevent oxygen leakage into the intestine. “The increased oxygen availability resulting from a high-fat diet escalates microbial metabolization of choline, leading to elevated TMAO levels in the blood,” said Bäumler. “This, in turn, creates more risk for heart disease and plaque deposits in arteries.”

How to use almond milk for weight loss?
How to use almond milk for weight loss?

A cup of skim milk has 91 calories, while a cup of unsweetened almond milk contains just 39 calories. You cannot simply ignore this difference when...

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What is a good keto breading?
What is a good keto breading?

You can use almond flour as a low-carb, keto-friendly substitute for baking. "Bread made with almond flour, coconut flour, or a combination of both...

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Many studies have linked TMAO to atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular disease in which fatty deposits build up inside the arteries. People with higher levels of TMAO in their blood may have more than twice the risk of serious heart problems, compared with people who have lower levels. A drug may boost the cell’s power engines and block high-fat diet effect The study found that 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), a type of drug that strengthens the ability of the intestinal lining to withhold oxygen, was able to prevent the microbiota from producing harmful metabolites from a Western-style high-fat diet. The 5-ASA activated mitochondrial bioenergetics specifically in the intestinal epithelium. “This is evidence that it’s possible to prevent the negative outcomes associated with a high-fat diet,” Byndloss said. A drug such as 5-aminosalicylic acid might be used in conjunction with a probiotic to both restore a healthy intestinal environment and boost beneficial microbe levels, she added. Mesalazine, a 5-ASA drug, could restart the energy factories in the intestinal lining and prevent oxygen and nitrate from residing in the gut. It may neutralize the harmful effects of a high-fat diet and prevents the microbiota from producing toxic levels of TMA metabolites. Co-authors on this study are Woongjae Yoo, Jacob Zieba, Nora Foegeding, Teresa Torres, Catherine Shelton, Nicolas Shealy, Austin Byndloss, Stephanie Cevallos, Erik Gertz, Connor Tiffany, Julia Thomas, Yael Litvak, Henry Nguyen, Erin Olsan, Brian Bennett, Jeffrey Rathmell and Amy Major. The research was supported by the V Foundation for Cancer Research, American Cancer Society, United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, USDA/NIFA, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health (grants DK058404, CA236733, TR002243, AI0441780, AI096528, AI112445, AI112949, AI146432, AI153069). Yoo et al. (2021). High-fat diet-induced colonocyte dysfunction escalates microbiota-derived trimethylamine-N-oxide, Science, DOI:10.1126/science.aba3683

How many days does it take to get into ketosis on the keto diet?
How many days does it take to get into ketosis on the keto diet?

It typically takes 2–4 days to enter ketosis if you eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. However, some people may take longer depending on...

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Is the whoosh effect diarrhea?
Is the whoosh effect diarrhea?

The keto diarrhea “whoosh,” is a term used for the flushing of fluids from the body that many people experience when they begin the transition into...

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How much weight can you lose on the 3 day egg diet?
How much weight can you lose on the 3 day egg diet?

That said, most people claim they lose 5–10 pounds (1.4–2.7 kg) in 3–5 days. An egg fast can help you lose weight by restricting calories and...

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Can I do keto 5 days a week?
Can I do keto 5 days a week?

Keto cycling doesn't have a set definition. Some people choose to have five or six days on keto followed by a day or two off. Others will do keto...

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