One Major Effect of Gut Health on Blood Pressure - msnNOW

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A European research team has found that a gut with balanced levels of microbiota is linked to lower blood pressure.

They used a sample of 904 participants in Northern Germany to understand to what extent the gut microbiome's composition is related to lower blood pressure, aware of past evidence that both the gut and blood pressure are affected by the consumption of foods that contain flavonoids.

In the current study, the researchers analyzed participants' intake of berries, apples, pears, and red wine to conclude that "microbial factors explained 15.2% to the association between flavonoid-rich foods and clinically relevant lower [systolic blood pressure]." (Systolic blood pressure is the measure of pressure in the arteries when the heart pumps blood out.).