A recent study from Queen’s University found that flavonoid-rich foods, including berries, apples, pears, and wine, appear to have a positive effect on blood pressure levels.
This is partially explained by the characteristics of the gut microbiome. The researchers found gut microbiome plays a key role in metabolizing flavonoids to enhance their cardioprotective effects.
The findings suggest these blood-pressure-lowering effects are achievable with simple changes to the daily diet.
Flavonoids are compounds found naturally in fruits, vegetables and plant-based foods such as tea, chocolate and wine, and have been shown in previous research to offer a variety of health benefits to the body.
Flavonoids are broken down by the body’s gut microbiome—the bacteria found in the digestive tract.
Recent studies found a link between gut microbiota, the microorganisms in the human digestive tract, and heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide.
In the study, the team examined the link between eating flavonoid-rich foods with blood pressure and gut microbiome diversity.
They also examined how much variance within the gut microbiome could explain the association between the intake of flavonoid-rich foods and blood pressure.
A group of 904 adults between the ages of 25 and 82 was recruited for this study.
The team found people who had the highest intake of flavonoid-rich foods, including berries, red wine, apples and pears, had lower systolic blood pressure levels, as well as greater diversity in their gut microbiome than the participants who consumed the lowest levels of flavonoid-rich foods.
Up to 15.2% of the association between flavonoid-rich foods and systolic blood pressure could be explained by the diversity found in participants’ gut microbiomes.
Eating 1.6 servings of berries per day (one serving equals 80 grams or 1 cup) was linked to an average reduction in systolic blood pressure levels of 4.1 mm Hg, and about 12% of the association was explained by the gut microbiome.
Drinking 2.8 glasses (125 ml of wine per glass) of red wine a week was linked to an average of 3.7 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure level, of which 15% could be explained by the gut microbiome.
While this study suggests potential benefits to consuming red wine, the American Heart Association suggests that if you don’t drink alcohol already, you shouldn’t start.
If you do drink, talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol in moderation.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies that black licorice could cause dangerous high blood pressure, and this common plant nutrient could help reduce high blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about how tea and coffee influence your risk of high blood pressure, and results showing this olive oil could reduce blood pressure in healthy people.
The study was published in Hypertension and conducted by Aedín Cassidy et al.
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