Gut Symptoms Might Be Warning Signs of Heart Disease: 2 Tips

Do you experience stomach pain, bloating, constipation, bad breath, or poor digestion? It might not be at the center of your attention if it’s only happened once or twice, but the recurrence of these symptoms may be precursors to heart disease. It’s worth watching out for.

You might ask yourself if this is really such a big deal. However, have you thought that stomach problems are usually linked to irregularities in the gut microbes?  Scientists have found that gut microbe irregularities have a complex connection with the functions of multiple internal systems. A paper published in the journal Science reveals that when gut microbes are off balance, your body will produce a metabolite which directly leads to heart disease.

Have you heard of the “heart-intestines axis”? There is no literal line connecting your heart and gut, but there are interactions between the organs, and in fact, traditional Chinese medicine has long emphasized the relationship between the intestines and heart.

How will a bad gut lead to heart diseases? Is there a way to prevent it?

Gut Microbiome Imbalance and Heart Disease

“There’s a complex interplay between the microbes in our intestines and most of the systems in our bodies, including the vascular, nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. All of these relationships are highly relevant to cardiovascular health,” Dr. JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Harvard Health Publishing.

Both heart failure and atherosclerosis may be associated with poor gut health, and a leading culprit is trimethylamine oxide (TMAO).

In 2019, a team from the Hebrew University in Israel found that under normal conditions, gut bacteria can prevent the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis by improving lipid metabolism. However, after a short- or long-term diet high in fat, the gut microbes metabolized choline and L-carnitine (both common in red meat) into trimethylamine (TMA), which is subsequently converted into TMAO in the liver. TMAO is a substance closely linked to the formation of artery-blocking plaques (atherosclerosis) and other serious cardiovascular diseases.

A 2017 review published in the Journal of the American Heart Association compiled the results of 19 studies and found that individuals with the highest TMAO levels were 62 percent more likely to have serious cardiovascular issues compared to those with the lowest TMAO levels. High TMAO levels were also associated with a higher mortality rate.

For about every 0.8 micrograms of TMAO per liter in your blood, the rate of death goes up by about 7.6 percent.

Intestinal inflammation is also a key issue.

Lack of sleep, irregular eating patterns, physical injuries, stomach infections, or food poisoning can all, to a certain extent, cause intestinal inflammation.

Researchers have found that more severe intestinal inflammation translates into a higher risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

The gut microbes play a crucial role in the regulation and function of the intestinal tract barrier, and intestinal microbiota disorder may lead to the disruption of the gut barrier, leading to cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the complex interaction between gut microbes and hormones is also an important factor contributing to the development of future cardiovascular diseases.

2 Ways to Improve Gut Health and Prevent Heart Diseases

You can use these two methods to lower the risk of heart diseases.

1. Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet to limit TMAO

You can also try to reduce the intake of dairy products high in fat (such as full-fat milk, butter and cream cheese), processed and unprocessed red meats (such as beef, pork, lamb, and veal), and dietary supplements and energy drinks containing choline, phosphatidylcholine (lecithin), or L-carnitine.

2. Eat plenty of fiber for the gut to produce short-chain fatty acids

What’s the role of dietary fiber?

Generally speaking, dietary fiber refers to multiple plant substances that resist the effect of digestive enzymes. As they cannot be absorbed by the stomach or intestinal tract and do not generate energy, dietary fiber was disregarded for a long time.

However, with in-depth study in the nutrition field, scientists have gradually realized that dietary fiber plays a crucial physiological role. For example, it absorbs water and swells, and also increases the sense of satiety and prolongs gastric emptying time.

In recent years, scientists also discovered that gut bacteria can ferment certain fibers to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are important for intestinal homeostasis and the reduction of intestinal inflammation, and they play a critical role in preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Short-chain fatty acids support our general health through reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, reducing digestive system’s symptoms, promoting a healthy weight, and improving blood sugar control.

As the food we eat is becoming more and more refined through processing, the issue of low dietary fiber intake has become an issue of concern in recent years.

When you go shopping, look for foods high in fiber such as legumes, green beans, avocados, apples, oats, and citrus fruits.

Here’s a list of foods and their fiber content per serving:

• 1/2 cup of black turtle beans: 6 grams
• 1 medium apple: 2 grams
• 1 pack of instant oatmeal: 4 grams
• 1/2 avocado: 5 grams
• 1 medium orange: 3 grams
• 1 medium-sized russet potato: 3 grams
• 1 cup of carrots: 4 grams
• 1 cup of cauliflower: 3 grams

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