The way to one’s heart is through their stomach

Background:

Over the pasting years, atherosclerosis continues to be the number one killer in the United States (Heart disease facts 2021). This chronic inflammatory disorder is the foundation of heart disease (CVD) and happens when dietary cholesterol builds up in our arteries. With the accumulation of cholesterol comes arterial wall damage and the prevention of oxygen-rich blood circulating smoothly throughout the body. Fatty streaks then progress into advanced lesions followed by strokes, heart attacks, and death.

There have been several suggestions to decrease the illness and mortality of CVD. Statins have been prescribed to patients to reduce the production of cholesterol. Alternatively, stents have been surgically inserted in patients to keep blood flowing through narrowed arteries. Yet, the mortality rate from CVD continues to rise. Researchers propose to tackle this issue at a different angle: the gut microbiome. Does your gut health play a role in promoting CVD? You bet it does. Previous studies have suggested that the excessive consumption of animal products along with their interactions with the gut microbiome can play a substantial role in the progression of CVD (Witkowski et al., 2020).

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