A critical review on diet-induced microbiota changes and cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) commonly denote the disorders that generally occur as a result of unhealthy food habits. Heart failure, cerebrovascular illness, rheumatic heart disease are the common CVDs. The prevalence of CVD is increased considerably in recent decades upon unhealthy food habits and varied alternative factors such as diabetes, smoking and excessive use of alcohol. A change into a healthy food habit can reverse the strategy during a course of time.

Objectives of the study: The objective of this review is to summarize the research findings and elaborate the relationship between the diet, gut microbiota, and CVD.

Results: The dietary products containing the least saturated, trans-fat and cholesterol have the tendency to scale back the burden of CVDs, for instance, vegetables and fruits. The potential reason for the cardioprotective activity of the diet ought to be its high-unsaturated fatty acid composition and less saturated fat. Recent studies have found that gut microbiota plays a key role in mediating disease prevention. The metabolism of dietary products into varied bioactive metabolites is regulated by gut microbiota. The contributory role of gut microbiota in dietary metabolism and CVD prevention studies are increasing with promising outcomes.

Conclusion: Hence, the review was proposed to reach the researchers within this field of study and share the available knowledge in gut microbiota-mediated CVD prevention. In our current review, we have updated all the research findings within the field of diet-mediated cardiovascular prevention through gut microbiota.

Keywords:

• Atherosclerosis
• diabetes mellitus
• cardiovascular diseases
• gut microbiota
• TMAO

Acknowledgments

The authors would be grateful to Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China for providing resources to draft this review.

Disclosure statement

None.

Additional information

Funding

This work is jointly supported by two research grants R201714 and R201914 from Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College.