The assessment of the actual contribution of red or processed meat to increasing the risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases (CVD) requires identification of specific harmful components and their underlying pathological mechanisms. In regards to CVD, meat lipids and their oxidation products have been recurrently studied due to their implications on lipid metabolism, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and risk of suffering vascular events such as stroke. The impact of excess NaCl intake on increasing blood pressure is well-established and processed meat products have been recognized as a major contributor to dietary sodium in developed countries. Recent evidence has also suggested carnitine from red meat, as a precursor for trimethylamine-N-oxide, which has been shown to cause atherosclerosis, may increase the risk of suffering CVD in experimental animals. The present review aims to provide an updated overview, including evidence, controversies and unresolved questions on both the epidemiology and mechanisms relating red and processed meat consumption to CVD.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
About The Expert
Josué Delgado
- Heart Clinical Unit, Virgen de la Victoria University Clinic Hospital. Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, CIBERCV, Málaga, Spain.
Diana Ansorena
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea s/n, 31008, IDISNA – Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Thomas Van Hecke
- Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, Belgium.
Iciar Astiasarán
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Navarra, Irunlarrea s/n, 31008, IDISNA – Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Stefaan De Smet
- Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, Belgium.
Mario Estévez
- IPROCAR Research Institute, Food Technology, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain. Electronic address: mariovet@unex.es.
References
PubMed