Formaldehyde, used in some foods, medicines, cosmetics and pressed-wood products, is a ubiquitous cancer-causing chemical.

A Silent Killer In Our Daily Lives

<ul><li>A strong-smelling colorless gas.</li><li>It belongs to the class of aldehydes , and is the simplest aldehyde.</li><li>It is used in many industries, from food to medical industry and hygiene to building industry.</li><li>Chemically, it is relatively unstable, broken down in air within hours.</li><li>Dissolved in water, it Is called formalin.</li></ul>

What Is Formaldehyde?

<ul><li>Pressed-wood products: e.g. particleboard, plywood</li><li>glues and adhesives </li><li>permanent-press fabrics </li><li>coatings in paper products </li><li>insulation materials </li><li>industrial disinfectants</li><li>preservatives used in labs and funeral homes </li><li>preservatives used in foods, antiseptics, medicines, and cosmetics. </li></ul>

Sources of formaldehydes

<ul><li>Formaldehyde can be produced when you cook and smoke foods. </li><li>It is also found naturally in the environment.</li><li>Humans and some other living organisms also produce it as a result of normal metabolism . </li></ul>

More surprising sources of formaldehydes

Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling chemical used in building materials and many household products, and as a preservative in funeral homes and medical labs. Learn what we know about formaldehyde and cancer risk here.

health

Health

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

Formaldehyde

When you eat meat, your gut microbiome produces a chemical, trimethylene N-oxide (TMAO), which may raise your risk of getting cardiovascular events, like stroke and heart attack.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another reason to reduce meat consumption

Eating foods high in choline and L-carnitine, your gut microbiome produce a chemical compound, called trimethylamine (TMA). In the liver, TMA is converted to trimethylene N-oxide (TMAO), a harmful agent.&nbsp; People with high blood levels of TMAO is shown to have higher risk of premature death. In addition, they have four-fold increased risk of all-cause death.&nbsp;

Mechanism of action

Reduce foods that is high in L-carnitine, choline and choline-containing compounds. These are: <ul><li>full-fat dairy products</li><li>egg yolk</li><li>cream cheese</li><li>butter</li><li>processed and unprocessed red meat</li><li>energy drinks and supplements that contain choline, lecithin (a choline-containing compound) and L-carnitine.&nbsp;</li></ul>

How to reduce TMAO in your body?

food

Food

The Gut, the Heart, and TMAO - Cleveland HeartLab, Inc.

<ul><li>There more microbes in your gut than your cells in your body</li><li>Various diseases are linked to gut health. </li><li>Some of which: irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression and other mental disorders.  </li><li>Best way to improve your gut health is by adding more plant-based whole foods to your diet. </li></ul>

Why care your gut bugs?

Gut microbiome is a word describing microbes – viruses, bacteria, fungi, archaea etc. – which live in your gut. Usually, gut bacteria are the microbes that mostly affect our wellbeing. (Partly because we have only studied bacteria most thoroughly.)

Definition of the gut microbiome

<ul><li>Most microbes in your body live in your intestines, more specifically in the cecum, in the large intestine. </li><li>There are about 40 trillion bacteria, compared to your own cell count, 30 trillion. </li><li>The total amount of microbes contributes to your body weight about 1–2 kg. </li><li>From textbooks, we usually learn that women's wombs are sterile, but they are not.</li></ul>

Fun facts 

<ul><li>Digest the healthy sugars in breast milk which are essential for normal growth for babies. </li><li>Digest dietary fiber, producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which positively affect our health. </li><li>Controlling immune system, thus possibly enhancing our body's immunity to infections. </li><li>Gut microbiome can affect our brain health, either positively or negatively.  </li></ul>

General functions of microbiome

Gut dysbiosis is a term referring to the imbalance between good and bad microbes in our gut.

Gut dysbiosis

<ul><li>In many studies involving identical twins, we observed that the one with obesity has different gut microbiome than the other with healthy weight. </li><li>Consequently, differences between gut microbiome are not genetic.</li><li>In a mice study, we transferred the microbiome of the obese twin to a group of normal weight mice. The group gained more weight than the other group (of mice with normal weight) receiving the microbiome from the lean twin. </li><li>We conclude, gut dysbiosis may play a role in weight gain. </li></ul>

How they affect our weight?

<ul><li>In a study of 1500 people, we observed the gut microbiome may have a role in our heart health. </li><li>Certain species of microbes contributed to the elevated levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides. </li><li>Other species of microbes seemed to be unhealthy by producing trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). </li><li>TMAO is a chemical contributing to blocked arteries causing heart attacks or stroke. </li><li>TMAO production is increased when we eat foods high in choline and L-carnitine – in other words red meat and other animal-based products. </li><li>Lactobacilli bacteria, found in fermented foods, may reduce cholesterol. </li></ul>

Role in heart health

<ul><li>The gut microbiome may influence blood sugar level. </li><li>In a study of 33 infants with high risk of getting type 1 diabetes, the diversity of infants' microbiome decreased before getting type 1 diabetes. </li><li>The number of unhealthy microbes also increased. </li><li>People eating the same foods had different blood sugar levels after the meals. </li><li>It may be caused by the difference in the gut microbes in each person. </li></ul>

Role in blood sugar level

<ul><li>The gut microbiome may produce chemicals affecting our brains. </li><li>For example, serotonin, a good-feel chemical/neurotransimiter is mostly produced in the gut. </li><li>Microbes may help its production. </li><li>The gut is connected to the brain through numerous nerves.</li><li> The gut microbiome can affect our brain health through these nerves. </li><li>Certain psychological diorders are attributed to the gut microbiome. </li></ul>

Role in brain health

Eat a diverse range of plant-based whole foods.

How to improve your microbiome profile?

The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in your gut. Here's why your gut microbiome is so important for health.

Formaldehyde

The Gut, the Heart, and TMAO - Cleveland HeartLab, Inc.

Why the Gut Microbiome Is Crucial for Your Health

Naiyu D.