Probiotics and vascular health

We all are aware of the benefits of daily supplementation with probiotics for gut and brain health. But hot off the press comes new evidence of the benefits of a diverse microbiome for vascular flexibility.

Researchers assessed the arterial pressure of 617 middle-aged females, and assessed their microbiome composition to determine the link between microbial patterns and vascular health.

Outcomes revealed that poor microbiome diversity was strongly associated with arterial softness, independent of other drivers of metabolic syndrome.

Furthermore, a study examining the influence of probiotics on cardio metabolic markers showed the Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis (HN019) reduced BMI, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL, bad cholesterol).

The proposed mechanism is associated with the prevention of cholesterol absorption by the intestinal tract into the blood stream, by aiding the assimilation of cholesterol during bacterial multiplication and cholesterol binding, and to improve liver metabolism through increased short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production inhibiting HMG Co-A reductase (an enzyme of the metabolic pathway that produces cholesterol). Mechanistically, it has been shown to reduce pro‑inflammatory substances e.g. interleukin, growth factors) which are associated with the development of obesity.

The potential of pre and probiotics to mitigate cardiovascular risk is yet another motivating factor to nurture our microbiomes!