Can a high-fiber diet control high blood pressure?

March 23, 2020 / / -- 100 million microbes live in our guts, affecting our metabolism, immune system, and possibly even our mental health.
, a molecular biologist and geneticist, has a particular interest in whether gut bacteria can also affect high blood pressure.
she is now conducting clinical trials to see if a high-fiber diet can keep blood pressure within a healthy range.
her research in mice that dietary fiber, especially probiotic fiber, "can prevent high blood pressure."
probiotic fiber resists digestion until it reaches the large intestine, where it feeds bacteria that are "considered to be beneficial to health," Dr Marques explains.
source: Microbial fermentation in the gut releases metabolites, small molecules called short-chain fatty acids.
her research shows that if mice were fed these short-chain fatty acids directly, their blood pressure would drop and cardiovascular health would improve.
the experiment to test whether humans would react the same way.
"we provide people with a high-fiber diet," she says.
" but foods also contain fiber rich in these metabolites.
will also receive a placebo because it is the gold standard design for clinical trials.
", twice a day for three weeks, all participants were given food, including muffins, filidas and arancini balls, all developed by research chefs.
these foods have been tested to eliminate the difference in taste between those that are rich in metabolites and those that are not.
if the results are positive, we can try to reduce high blood pressure in a more natural way, " he said.
"the food was prepared by research chefs and volunteers in the kitchen of Monash University.
Marques said they decided to add metabolites to the food instead of letting the participants swallow a powder in the hope that it would encourage them to follow the rules.
12 untreated men and women with high blood pressure have taken part in the three-week trial.
she hopes to recruit a total of 30 people.
do everything we can to make sure the food is delicious, delicious and good quality, " she said.
research cooks are doing very well.
"preliminary studies are possible due to funding from the Heart Foundation."
if the results are good, she hopes to conduct a larger trial.
we know from epidemiological studies and large meta-analyses that integrate a large number of small clinical trials that fiber intake is usually associated with lower blood pressure," she said.
2017, Marques published a study that suggests that the type of fiber in the gut and its interactions with microbes may be the cause.
if the results are positive, we can try to reduce high blood pressure in a more natural way," she said.
the trial was aimed at people between the ages of 18 and 70 with a BMI of less than 30.
does not include people with intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome or celiac disease, nor does it include vegetarians, as meat is included in the diet provided.
"it's hard to find because either people don't know they have high blood pressure or they're taking medication," she said.
volunteers are keen to avoid the drug because of its side effects.
about a third of Australians over the age of 18 have high blood pressure, and the incidence of it increases with age.
more than two-thirds of them did not take the drug.
is that they don't know they have this condition, which in most cases is asymptomatic, and is called a "silent killer."
Another reason is that diagnosis can be difficult -- up to a quarter of patients suffer from "white-coated syndrome", in which their blood pressure readings suddenly rise in the doctor's office but stabilize in a more familiar environment.
the other 20 per cent are the opposite.
they had "disguised hypertension" and their readings were man-madely reduced in clinical settings.
: If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis of the arteries and heart, and hardening of the kidneys, reducing its function.
is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Marques says her approach has changed since she was diagnosed with stage 3 of ovarian cancer - her condition has been in remission for four years.
I'm a molecular geneticist, so my research is mainly in the lab, " she says.
cancer changed the way I looked at my life.
I hope my research can be applied more practically and can help people more directly.
days I spend a lot of time coaching people and talking about the importance of science... I hope I don't get cancer again, but I can't guarantee it.
so if I'm going to leave a legacy, it's going to be my legacy.
"() Reference: Researching the high-fiber diet can play in controlling high blood pressure.