The Importance of the Microbiome to Cardiovascular Health

The bacteria the live in our gut and play critical roles in our health change according to the foods we eat

Eating a Mediterranean diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats, can help foster a healthy gut microbiome and ward of cardiovascular disease.goodluz/Shutterstock

What would you think if I told you that the trillions of microbes living in your intestinal tract—referred to as the gut microbiota—contains 100-fold more genes than the rest of your body and that these gut microbiota can have a dramatic impact on your cardiovascular health? This relationship is a prime example of the brain-gut connection.

Experts are uncovering more and more evidence that the gut microbiome has a role in a person’s overall health and chances of developing any disease. Thus far, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity are a few of the conditions that exemplify the impact of host–gut microbiome interactions, and all three have a significant role in cardiovascular health.

Trimethylamine-N-oxide

The most convincing evidence illustrating a link between the microbiome and cardiovascular health involves a substance called trimethylamine-N-oxide, an organic compound which is made by the liver after bacteria in the intestinal tract digest certain nutrients, including choline, L-carnitine, and lecithin. These nutrients are found in foods such as dairy, meat, eggs, and fish.