Red Meat Makes Body Vulnerable to Intestinal Germ

by Rajashri on  October 30, 2008 at 2:32 PM Diet & Nutrition News
  •   Print
  •   Share
  •   Comments
  •  Text 
Red Meat Makes Body Vulnerable to Intestinal Germ
A new study says that eating a diet of red meat regularly makes the body more susceptible to a virulent form of intestinal bug that can cause bloody diarrhoea and even death.

Researchers in the United States and Australia said persistently eating red meat appears to prime the body for exposure to this potent form of Escherichia coli (E. coli).

The meat naturally contains sugar molecules called Neu5Gc that accumulate in cells lining the intestines and blood vessels.

These molecules also act as a sort of magnet for the toxins exuded by the E. coli strain, thus making it easier for the poisons to enter the blood stream, they said.

"Prior meat eating would set one up for the toxin to bind when it shows up," explained Ajit Varki, a researcher at the University of California at San Diego, one of the study's co-authors.

The Neu5Gc molecule is virtually absent in other foods such as fish, poultry and vegetables and fruits, Varki told AFP in an email exchange.

The investigation, published in the London-based journal Nature, is led by Travis Beddoe of Monash University in Melbourne.

In experiments, the team first tested the affinity of the E. coli bacteria for Neu5Gc using cultured human cells in a lab dish.

"The human samples showed the presence of the Neu5Gc toxin binding sites in the gut and the kidney, the two target organs for the disease," said Varki.

Page 1 Page 1 | 2  Next
 Email Email   RSS Feeds RSS Feeds   Print this page Print   Save this page Save   Link Link   Syndicate Syndicate   Comments Comments   Bookmark and Share
 
Comment & Contribute
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters

Notify me when reply is posted
I agree to the terms and conditions
  
If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
X
  • Health News Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
  • News Quick Links
News Central Health Watch
Latest Health News Health In Focus
News Category (500+) Breaking Health News
Popular News Celebrating Life
Health News and Press Release Medindia - Exclusive
News Photo Gallery India Special
News Video Gallery Lifestyle and Wellness
News From Other Resources
News Categories:  
Senior Health Center

Diet & Nutrition Related News

» Importance of Canned Foods To Help Tackle IOM Weight Of The Nation Recommendations, Highlights Study » US Rules Pomegranate Juice Claims Deceptive
» Reducing Entrée Size Could Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Children » Dieters Should Eat 300 Calories Less to Avoid Regaining Lost Weight After Dieting
» Doctors Advise People to Eat Healthy Food to Stay Cool This Summer » Link Between Meat Consumption and Masculinity
» First Study to Explore the Benefits of Fish Oils at the Cellular Level » Minimum 20 Percent 'Fat Tax' Needed to Cut Obesity, Heart Disease Risk
Read More >>