A team of scientists from Monash University has found that what we eat—and how our gut responds to it—plays a key role in controlling high blood pressure.
This discovery could lead to new types of medications that work through the gut to help manage blood pressure.
The study was led by Professor Francine Marques and her Hypertension Research Laboratory in Monash University’s School of Biological Sciences, with support from experts in Australia, China, and Singapore.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects about one in three Australians. It’s a major cause of stroke, heart disease, and kidney problems. While doctors already knew that eating fiber can help reduce blood pressure, they didn’t fully understand how the gut and the body communicated to make this happen.
The research focused on how substances produced in the gut—called short-chain fatty acids—affect blood pressure. These helpful substances are made when fiber is broken down by gut bacteria. The team found that these fatty acids activate two special receptors in the gut called GPR41 and GPR43.
These receptors sit on the surface of intestinal cells and are part of a large family of cell signalers known as G-protein coupled receptors. Once switched on, they help reduce inflammation in the body.
The receptors are especially active in immune cells and the lining of the intestine. What’s interesting is that the short-chain fatty acids that activate them only appear when we eat enough dietary fiber.
Fiber is found in foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, oats, potatoes, nuts, and seeds. But the researchers noted that many people, especially in Australia, do not eat enough fiber.
In lab experiments, the team looked at what happens when these receptors are not activated—similar to when someone doesn’t eat enough fiber.
They found that the gut becomes “leakier,” allowing harmful microbial substances to enter the bloodstream. This causes inflammation in organs like the kidneys, which are important for regulating blood pressure. As a result, blood pressure increases.
Dr. Rikeish R Muralitharan, the study’s lead author, explained that this gut-driven inflammation may be one of the reasons people develop high blood pressure. The team showed that the two receptors, GPR41 and GPR43, help explain why a high-fiber diet can protect the heart and lower blood pressure.
They also looked at genetic data from around 300,000 people. The data suggested that some people naturally have a lower risk of high blood pressure due to genetic differences related to these gut receptors.
The researchers are now working on a clinical trial with real people to better understand how gut health and gut “leakiness” affect high blood pressure. They are also developing new drugs that can directly activate the gut’s GPR41 and GPR43 receptors, even without needing to eat more fiber.
By combining drug design with knowledge about gut health, the team hopes to create new treatments that lower blood pressure in a completely different way—through the gut.
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The study is published in Circulation Research.
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