The gut microbiome is indeed a highly diverse community of trillions of organisms inhabiting the digestive tract. These organisms play very important roles in overall health, even extending into heart health. Recent research shows it could influence cardiovascular health via its effects on inflammation, cholesterol levels, and even blood pressure. There are two major interventions that can make a large difference in the health of the gut microbiome and thereby have a significant bearing on heart health: dietary, especially with the use of prebiotics and probiotics, and lifestyle modification. Dr Shalini Garwin Bliss, Executive Dietician, Manipal Hospital, Gurugram suggests lifestyle interventions for healthy gut:
Prebiotics come in the form of nondigestible fibers found in foods like garlic, onions, bananas, and whole grains. Food is what the good bacteria in the gut need to be more active and multiply. By feeding the good bacteria, prebiotics are most effective at maintaining a healthy balance in the gut microbiome—one that can lower levels of systemic inflammation, one of the primary drivers of heart disease.
There are also many studies that show regular consumption of prebiotic-containing foods lowers levels of LDL cholesterol—the often-termed “bad” cholesterol—and reduces blood pressure, two key factors in heart health. If you can include these in your daily diet, you’re providing easy assistance to gut and heart health.
Probiotics: Adding the Helpful Bacteria
Probiotics are good bacteria that are found in fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and supplements. They repopulate the intestinal tract with normal bacteria that one is born with but loses because of actions taken by antibiotic drugs, poor diet, etcetera. This normal population of gut flora should be balanced and decrease the metabolites that contribute to heart disease.
Several studies have suggested that regular consumption of probiotics may contribute to small reductions in blood pressure and improvements in lipid profiles. Probiotics can also improve gut barrier function and prevent the translocation of noxious substances into the bloodstream, which otherwise could contribute to heart disease.
Lifestyle Modifications: Exercise and Stress Management
It is further complemented by the inclusion of physical activities, including regular exercise, and the management of stress as part of the modification in lifestyle. Physical activity itself is shown to enhance gut bacteria diversity, which has been used as an indicator of health. A diverse microbiome regulates inflammation and metabolic processes better; this helps in maintaining cardiovascular health.
On the other hand, stress encourages the development of pathogenic bacteria in the gut microbiota. This effect will be minimized by mindfulness, meditation, and regular physical activities that will support not just gut health but also heart health.
Prebiotics and probiotics in diets, an active lifestyle, and managing stress are some of the powerful methods of intervention to maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Such changes help in better gut health and, indirectly, heart health with reduced inflammation, an improvement in cholesterol levels, and regulation of blood pressure. This simplistic intervention deserves the highest emphasis as minute details about the interaction between the gut and heart unfold amidst understanding cardiovascular health.
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