Intestinal bacteria and flavonoid-rich foods are linked to each other and can improve blood pressure levels

The lead researcher of the study, Dr.

Flavonoids are natural compounds found in fruits, vegetables and plant foods such as tea, chocolate and wine

As more and more studies show that flavonoids may reduce the risk of heart disease, this study evaluated the role of gut microbes in this process

The study recruited 904 adults between the ages of 25 and 82, of which 57% were men from the PopGen Biobank in Germany

The amount of foods rich in flavonoids consumed by participants in the past year was calculated based on a self-reported food questionnaire that details the frequency and quantity of 112 foods

The participants’ gut microbiota was assessed by extracting fecal bacterial DNA from fecal samples

The analysis of daily flavonoid intake, intestinal microbes and blood pressure levels found that:

• In the study, participants who consumed the most foods rich in flavonoids (including berries, red wine, apples, and pears) had lower systolic blood pressure levels than participants who consumed the least foods rich in flavonoids.

  
  

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Cassidy said: "Our findings indicate that future trials should be based on the metabolism of participants in order to more accurately study the role of metabolism and gut microbes in regulating the effects of flavonoids on blood pressure

Although this study shows the potential benefits of drinking red wine, the American Heart Association recommends that if you haven’t started drinking, don’t do it

The author pointed out that the participants in this study were from the general population, and the participants did not know this hypothesis

Journal Reference :

1. Amy Jennings, Manja Koch, Corinna Bang, Andre Franke, Wolfgang Lieb, Aedín Cassidy.