New research has suggested that a red meat nutrient that is being sold as a muscle growth and weight loss supplement could actually damage both the heart and the arteries. L-carnitine capsules are widely sold online and in health food shops. They are marketed as a fat burning aid to slimming as well as a powerful muscle builder, and the advertising also claims they have be beneficial to those who suffer from heart conditions.
Now, however, this latest research has indicated there may be a link between heart disease and L-carnitine which could be the key reason why eating large quantities of red meat can cause damage to the heart. This is in addition from the detrimental effect that the cholesterol and saturated fats in red meat have on the heart.
The studies have shown that when L-carnitine has been broken down by gut bacteria it produces a potentially harmful compound that is known as TMAO, or trimethylamine N-oxide. Individuals who are omnivorous were found to have produced more of the TMAO compound than vegans and vegetarians after taking L-carnitine. According to experts, these findings suggest that apart from containing L-carnitine, red meat encourages gut bacteria growth with then uses the nutrient as an energy source.
