READ MORE: Eating red meat raises diabetes risk, study findsSee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy CIARAN FOREMAN, HEALTH REPORTER Published: 17:01 BST, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 17:02 BST, 24 July 2026
Eating eggs could increase the risk of developing a dangerous heart rhythm problem that can trigger deadly stroke, a study has suggested.Researchers have found a link between a compound found in the bloodstream that's released after eating a number of everyday foods - including egg yolks and beef steak - and atrial fibrillation.The condition, which causes the heart to beat irregularly, can lead to heart failure and stroke.Now experts at the Cleveland Clinic in the US have found that those with the life-threatening problem have high levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) - which is produced in the gut in response to certain foods.TMAO is released during digestion of nutrients like carnitine and choline, which are in foods like beef steak and livers, pork and egg yolks.Scientists in the new study – published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation – analysed the blood cells of 5,000 people from the US.They found those with higher levels of TMAO in their blood had 70 per cent higher odds of atrial fibrillation than those with the lowest levels.This was even after accounting for other factors that can increase the risk of the disorder, which include older age, high blood pressure and obesity. Having higher levels of a chemical produced by the body after eating red meat could put people more at risk of a dangerous heart rhythm disorder, a study suggests
