Comprehending stomach instincts could potentially lead to faster improvements in blood pressure control.
High blood pressure affects nearly half of all adults in the United States, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Managing blood pressure with medication can be challenging, and a simple solution at home might be beneficial: intermittent fasting.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found a connection between gut dysbiosis and high blood pressure. Gut dysbiosis refers to a disruption in the balance of microorganisms in the gut microbiota, a community living in your gastrointestinal tract. A growing body of evidence suggests that gut health plays a significant role in overall health, including the risk of hypertension.
Previous studies have shown that poor microbiome health in animal models is linked to a higher risk of hypertension. Intriguingly, when an unhealthy microbiome from an animal with high blood pressure is transplanted into one with normal pressure, the recipient develops the condition too. This evidence points towards a causal relationship between poor microbiome health and high blood pressure.
So, what if we could alter the gut microbiome to prevent or alleviate high blood pressure? To answer this question, the researchers turned to intermittent fasting. They found that fasting improves gut health and helps lower blood pressure in animal models.
In a study, the researchers divided rats with and without gut dysbiosis into two groups. One group was only fed every other day, while the other ate whenever they wanted. After just nine weeks, the rats with poor gut health had higher blood pressure than those with normal gut health. However, when the team compared the two dysbiotic rat groups, a significant reduction in blood pressure was observed in the rats that fasted every other day.
The researchers then explored the mechanisms behind this finding. Their results showed that animals with high blood pressure and gut dysbiosis had lower levels of bile acids in circulation compared to non-hypertensive animals. Interestingly, animals with a poor gut microbiome experienced higher levels of blood pressure-regulating bile acids while following an intermittent feeding schedule. In other words, intermittent fasting boosted bile acids, which helped to lower blood pressure.
The Baylor study has now proven for the first time that intermittent fasting can benefit blood pressure by reshaping the composition of the gut microbiota.
Intermittent fasting involves limiting your eating window to certain hours per day and fasting for the remaining hours. Johns Hopkins Medicine offers two strategies: the 16:8 fasting approach, which consists of an eight-hour eating window and a sixteen-hour fast, and the 5:2 fasting strategy, which allows five days of regular eating and two days of one meal containing 500 to 600 calories.
Before starting an intermittent fasting regimen, it's essential to consult with a healthcare professional, especially for those taking antihypertensive medications or experiencing conditions such as diabetes.
The findings of the Baylor study add to growing evidence that lifestyle choices, such as intermittent fasting, can significantly impact blood pressure and overall health.
Sources:- Intermittent Fasting: What is it, and how does it work? - Johns Hopkins Medicine- Fasting lowers blood pressure by reshaping the gut microbiota - Baylor College of Medicine
Nutrition and wellness, in the form of intermittent fasting, could potentially impact one's health-and-wellness, as a recent study from Baylor College of Medicine suggests that this lifestyle choice may help reshape the gut microbiota and lower blood pressure. Science continues to uncover connections between gut health and hypertension, with evidence pointing towards gut dysbiosis being a causal factor in high blood pressure. Therefore, managing blood pressure with dietary choices like intermittent fasting might be a beneficial addition to traditional medication.
