My #1 Fear: how gut health could be the missing key to heart health

If I’m completely honest, my number one health fear has always been heart disease.

It runs through my family history like a red thread strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure have taken people I love far too soon.

I’ve spent years studying nutrition, helping others build better health, and doing everything “right.”But this summer, everything changed.

A Wake-Up Call I Didn’t Expect

This summer, I found myself lying in a hospital bed with a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) wondering how someone who eats well, exercises, and lives consciously could end up here.

For the first time, I felt that quiet loss of invincibility. That moment when you realise you’re not immune, not “perfectly healthy,” and not untouchable.

Even as a health coach, that realisation hit hard.

But it also sparked a new curiosity: What if the heart isn’t the whole story? What if the roots of cardiovascular health and disease begin somewhere else entirely?

What Science Is Revealing: The Gut–Heart Connection

For decades, we’ve been told to fear cholesterol. To avoid fat, cut out eggs, and stick to “heart-healthy” low-fat foods.

Yet, research in the last few years has revealed something fascinating

💡 Your gut bacteria may influence your heart health more than cholesterol ever did.

A major study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine found that gut microbes can:

• Influence cholesterol levels

• Drive or reduce inflammation

• Affect how easily blood clots form

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The findings suggest that the origins of heart disease might literally begin in your gut microbiome the ecosystem of bacteria living in your digestive tract.

The Chemistry of the Gut–Heart Link

Here’s how it works:

When your gut bacteria break down certain nutrients (especially from red meat, eggs, and dairy), they can produce a compound called TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide).

High TMAO levels have been linked with:

• Increased clot formation

• Artery plaque build-up

• Higher risk of heart attack and stroke

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But there’s good news.

Other types of gut bacteria the beneficial ones that thrive on fibre produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate and propionate. These compounds do the opposite:

• They lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol

• Calm inflammation

• Support healthy blood pressure

• Protect your heart and blood vessels

It’s a powerful reminder that what we feed our gut shapes how our heart functions.

Inflammation: The Hidden Thread

Cholesterol gets the headlines, but the real driver of most heart disease is chronic inflammation. And where does inflammation often start? Right in the gut.

When the gut lining becomes compromised from stress, processed foods, low fibre, or medication use it triggers an immune response. Over time, that low-grade inflammation seeps into the bloodstream, affecting everything from your hormones to your heart tissue.

A healthy gut microbiome acts like a peacekeeper. It calms inflammation, regulates cholesterol, and supports your immune system creating the foundation for long-term heart health.

The New Blueprint for a Healthy Heart

Forget the old message of restriction, fear, and calorie counting. A heart-healthy lifestyle isn’t about eating less it’s about nourishing more.

Here’s what I teach my clients to focus on:

1️⃣ Eat More Fibre

Fibre feeds the good bacteria that produce SCFAs the same compounds that protect your heart.

Aim for at least 25–30g per day from:

• Oats, beans, lentils

• Nuts, seeds (chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower)

• Colourful vegetables and fruit

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2️⃣ Prioritise Plant Diversity

Your gut microbiome loves variety. Aim for 30+ different plants per week this includes herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

The more diversity on your plate, the stronger and more balanced your gut–heart axis becomes.

3️⃣ Support, Don’t Punish

Forget restriction and guilt. Your body doesn’t need punishment it needs balance. Eat for energy, stability, and longevity, not just for calories.

And yes, enjoy the occasional glass of wine or slice of chocolate your gut (and your mindset) will thank you.

My Personal Takeaway

Since my DVT, I’ve become even more intentional about my own heart and gut health. I start every morning with fibre-rich seeds chia, flax, pumpkin for their healthy fats and hormone-balancing benefits. I pay closer attention to how stress, sleep, and food diversity affect my body.

Because if this experience taught me anything, it’s this: We don’t need to wait for a health scare to start listening. Our bodies are always speaking through symptoms, energy, sleep, and digestion.

When we support our gut, we support our heart.

🔎 Ready to Understand Your Inflammation Levels?

If you’ve been feeling:

• Bloated or puffy

• Constantly tired, even after rest

• Achy or sluggish after meals or exercise

• Or like something’s “off” but you can’t pinpoint it…

…it might be inflammation quietly building beneath the surface.

My Comprehensive Inflammation Test can help you see what’s really going on inside. It’s a simple at-home test that identifies markers of inflammation, giving you clear insight into your health before symptoms escalate.

When you know your baseline, you can take action confidently and effectively to protect your gut, your heart, and your future wellbeing.

💬 To learn more or order your test, contact me here or send a message.

🌿 Final Thoughts

Your gut doesn’t whisper it warns. It’s the quiet communicator that influences every system in your body, from hormones to heart rhythm.

The future of heart health won’t come from fear or restriction. It will come from understanding and from nurturing the place where it all begins: your gut. ❤️

Rachel Crowder

Gut Nutrition & Health Coach

Helping busy people simplify gut health for energy, balance, and longevity