When people are unable to break down trimethylamine as usual, the body releases the chemical through bodily fluids
Jiang YH et al
The answer lives in their receptor profiles
Key sources include: Red meat such as beef, lamb, and pork Poultry including chicken and turkey Fish like cod, salmon, and tuna Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt Plant-based sources including avocados, soybeans, and tempeh Because plant sources contain much lower amounts of L-carnitine, vegetarians and vegans may struggle to obtain sufficient levels through diet alone
Concurrently, mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) amplifies vascular dysfunction by oxidizing BH4, uncoupling endothelial eNOS, and reducing NO bioavailability while also activating pro-inflammatory pathways (e.g., NLRP3 inflammasome) and stimulating NOX activity, creating continuous oxidative damage (Penna and Pagliaro, 2025)