The probiotics may help control high blood pressure

Can you imagine controlling high blood pressure – hypertension – with something as natural as probiotics? Some studies show that consuming probiotics every day can reduce blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a condition that we usually treat with medications. Hence it’s commonly
associated with the risk of some chronic diseases, like  stroke, heart failure, kidney disease etc. According to American Heart Association, normal blood pressure should be lower than 120/80. When the blood pressure is over 140/90 we are talking about high blood pressure or hypertension.

Natural remedies for high blood pressure

Any medication can leave side effects and drugs for high blood pressure are no exception. Therefore some side effects are: kidney damage, weakness or fatigue, problems with vision, leg cramps, digestive problems, elevated cholesterol, anxiety, anemia and others. No one should stop taking medications without talking to the doctor first! Nevertheless evidence shows that diet and lifestyle change can also help control high blood pressure.

Change of lifestyle and diet can improve your health!

What if you could do it more naturally? Many studies suggest that a low-fat diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in sodium can improve blood pressure stats. Also supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, garlic and green tea are good to improve blood pressure control.

Probiotics can make an impact on your health!

Probiotics are live cultures that you can get in kefir, yogurt, fermented veggies etc. It is known that kefir contains beneficial microorganisms that play important role in boosting the immune system and balancing the digestion (More on bacteria strains in kefir). Drugs for treatment of hypertension contain an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) that dilates the blood vessels. Kefir also contains its own ACE inhibitor in the shape of bacteria strain Lactobacillus helveticus.

22 % reduction in relative risk for hearth problems!

Study¹ on high blood pressure was looking at connection between probiotics and high blood pressure. The research included over 540 individuals who consumed probiotics every day for a period of 3-9 weeks.

Fermented dairy products as the source of probiotics connected to lower blood pressure!

The results showed that consuming probiotics could significantly reduce systolic blood pressure (the first number) by 3.56 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (the second number) by 2.38 mm Hg. Also even a more modest reduction (by 3.3 mm Hg and by 1.4 mm Hg) was associated with a 22 % reduction in relative risk of cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke.

Usually fermented dairy contains 50-100 billions of colony forming units (CFU). Which is a lot considering that studies show a reduced blood pressure with daily intake of 1 billion CFU. Research also shows that taking probiotics for at least 8 weeks makes the best impact on health.

In conclusion, long term consumption of probiotics on a daily basis is a way to go to get the most for your health. Furthermore the side effects of consuming probiotics are none or very few. And if it can leave some positive effects, that is only welcome.

Sources:

¹Research: http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/64/4/897