Research
Mixed
Plant-based diets influence the gut microbiome to reduce production of Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a biomarker associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
Eating a diet rich in diverse plant fibers (vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains) feeds beneficial gut bacteria. This reduces the production of TMAO, a compound linked to heart disease risk. You don't need to be vegan to benefit; increasing plant fiber intake is key.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Choline and L-carnitine, compounds derived mainly from animal foods such as red meat, poultry, and fish are used by gut microbes to generate trimethylamine (TMA), which is converted to TMAO in the liver. TMAO has been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events independent of traditional risk factors...
Why this rating
Supported by RCTs (SWAP-MEAT) and mechanistic studies on TMAO pathways.
Source
Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Dietary Pattern and Implementation in Healthcare and Clinical Practice
Matthew J. Landry et al. · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · 2024
DOI 10.1177/15598276241237766
narrative_reviewCited 44×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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