Research: Are These Two Probiotics Able to Reduce Blood Pressure?

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that approximately 120 million adults in the United States suffer with excessive blood pressure. Furthermore, the CDC observes that:

• The two main causes of death in the United States, heart disease and stroke, are more likely to occur in people with hypertension.
• In 2021, high blood pressure was either the major cause or a contributing factor in around 700,000 fatalities in the United States.
• A person has high blood pressure if their systolic or diastolic blood pressure is more than 130 mmHg or 80 mmHg, respectively.
• The percentage of adults with high blood pressure who have it under control is less than 25%.
• The annual cost of high blood pressure in the US is around $131 billion.

Finding efficient preventive interventions is essential given the frequency of high blood pressure and the health consequences it entails.

The possible antihypertensive benefits of particular probiotic strains were investigated in a study titled "Probiotics Bifidobacterium lactis M8 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus M9 Prevent High Blood Pressure via Modulating the Gut Microbiota Composition and Host Metabolic Products." Lactobacillus rhamnosus M9 and Bifidobacterium lactis M8 may help reduce hypertension, according to a study done on mice given a high-fructose diet.

This study examined the potential effects of these probiotics on blood pressure by altering gut microbiota and associated metabolic pathways.

Although the finding is encouraging, further study is required to validate these effects in people, especially considering the limited sample size of the animal model that was employed.

Nevertheless, it's a potentially significant discovery and another reminder to control blood pressure and incorporate probiotics into your daily wellness regimen.

Study Results

Researchers looked into the effects of probiotics on blood pressure in mice fed a lot of sugar. They discovered that Bifidobacterium lactis M8 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus M9, two probiotic varieties, assisted in lowering blood pressure.

Probiotics, which are frequently present in cheese and yogurt, seemed to reduce blood pressure by altering the composition of the gut microbiota.

Among the main conclusions were:

• Blood Pressure Reduction: Probiotics significantly decreased diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 18.56% and 20.62% and systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 16.92% and 15.39%.
• Changes in Microbiota: After taking these probiotics, the levels of bacteria linked to lower blood pressure, Lawsonia and Pyrolobus, rose while those linked to higher blood pressure, Alistipes and Alloprevotella, declined. These effects were linked to decreased blood pressure when taken together.
• Metabolic Pathways: The probiotics affected a number of metabolic pathways that affected the contraction of vascular smooth muscle, serotonergic and cholinergic synapses, and the metabolism of fats and vitamins, all of which helped to control blood pressure.
• Mechanistic Insights: A significant association was found between lower levels of Alistipes and lower levels of steroid hormone production, pointing to a potential way that the gut microbiota may affect blood pressure by altering hormones.

Drawbacks

Despite the study's encouraging findings, there were certain drawbacks, like:

• Animal Model: The results may not be applicable to humans because they are based on a mouse model.
• Short-Term Study: Because of the study's brief duration, the safety and long-term effects of probiotic use were not evaluated.
• Restricted Scope: The study may not have addressed all possible dietary implications on blood pressure because it concentrated on particular strains and a high-fructose diet.

Researchers remain enthusiastic about the results in spite of the limitations.

"Probiotics and probiotic fermented foods have been shown to have an antihypertensive effect in both in vitro and in vivo experiments," according to a press release from computational biologist Jun Li, Ph.D., of the City University of Hong Kong. Her team collaborated on the investigation with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University microbiologist Zhihong Sun, Ph.D. Therefore, we thought that consuming probiotic foods would be a good addition to conventional hypertension treatment.

This makes reasonable given the other data showing that probiotics lower blood pressure. For example, researchers concluded that "probiotics is a potential for the dietary treatment of hypertension" after a 2020 systemic review and meta-analysis "found a moderate and statistically significant reduction for either SBP or DBP with probiotics supplement compared with controls."

"Probiotics can reduce hypertension symptoms through four mechanisms: regulating vascular oxidative stress, producing short-chain fatty acids, restoring endothelial cell function, and reducing inflammation," according to a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.

Additional Strategies to Reduce Blood Pressure

Probiotics are not the only method that can help control and reduce blood pressure.

• Dietary Changes: Adhere to the DASH diet, consume less sodium-containing foods, and eat more foods high in potassium and other blood pressure-lowering foods.
• Exercise Frequently: Take part in physical activities such as swimming, jogging, or walking.
• Weight management: Eat a balanced diet and get regular exercise to maintain a healthy weight.
• Stress Reduction:Techniques like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing help people feel less stressed.
• Limiting Alcohol and Tobacco: Blood pressure levels can be considerably impacted by cutting back on alcohol intake and quitting smoking.

These combined tactics provide a thorough approach to high blood pressure management, as do possible probiotic therapies.

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