But with a single high-fat meal, they essentially grow spikes and spew poison.
“They changed size, they changed shape, they got smaller,” said Doctor Harris of the rapid changes to the form and function of red blood cells.
In both the cells and blood, there was evidence of myeloperoxidase, or MPO – an enzyme expressed by a type of white blood cell which, at high levels in the blood, has been linked to stiff blood vessels, oxidative stress and heart attack in humans.
Since stiff blood vessels restrict the blood flow and oxygen supply to vital organs, they also increase the risk of blood clots.
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