Higher Trimethylamine- <i>N</i> -Oxide Plasma Levels with Increasing Age Are Mediated by Diet and Trimethylamine-Forming Bacteria

Abstract

Many cohort studies have investigated the link between diet and plasma TMAO levels, reporting incongruent results, while gut microbiota were only recently included into analyses. In these studies, taxonomic data were recorded that are not a good proxy for TMA formation, as specific members of various taxa exhibit genes catalyzing this reaction, demanding function-based technologies for accurate quantification of TMA-synthesizing bacteria.