Bacteria may be good for blood

GOOD bacteria in the gut may help regulate blood pressure.

A finding by Melbourne researchers offers hope to all those with uncontrolled hypertension to gain control of the disease by changing their diet, and consequently the composition of their gut microbes.

The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute is planning to test the combination of a highfibre “prebiotic” diet in hypertensive patients not yet taking blood pressure-lowering medication, following successful studies in animals.

The research leader Francine Marques said hypertension was the No.1 risk factor for death, and was involved in stroke, heart disease and dementia.

“It’s a very difficult disease to treat because most people with high blood pressure will have no symptoms, so they don’t want to take medication,” Dr Marques said.

“They don’t realise having high pressure for years or decades damages the heart and kidneys.”

With colleagues from Monash University, Dr Marques compared the effects of a standard diet, high-fibre diet and an acetate supplement — which is produced by gut microbes as a by-product of fibre digestion — in hypertensive mice.

The study, in Circulation, found the supplement and highfibre diet decreased gut microbiome imbalance, reduced blood pressure, and improved heart and kidney function.

“When we have high-fibre diets composed of resistant starches, they reach the gut highly undigested. The bacteria eats that,” Dr Marques said.

“The substances the bacteria release as part of this fermentation are beneficial for us. By feeding bacteria the right types of food, we can select which bacteria grow in our gut.”