Recently, there has been a lot of research investigating the relationship between the brain and the intestines. What we wanted to know is whether there is a similar connection between the heart and the gut. Doctors agree that it's definitely possible, and that it's mostly mediated by the health and balance of your gut microbiome.
There is a well-known saying: “You are what you eat.” And every year new research continues to suggest that this idea may actually be true.
Recently, scientists have noted a potential link between gut health and heart health.
Doctors already recommend eating heart-healthy foods, and medical experts agree that much of the correlation between heart and gut health is due to the gut microbiome, its composition and the production it produces when metabolizing certain foods. (e.g. toxic by-products).
Today's medical news We spoke to five experts to find out how much your gut health impacts your cardiovascular health.
All the experts we spoke to agreed that your gut microbiome can have a big impact on your heart health.
“The gut microbiome is a complex community of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, that reside in the human gastrointestinal tract, primarily the large intestine (colon),” says cardiologist Nathaniel E. Dr. Lebowitz said:Explanation with Hackensack University Medical Center, New Jersey MNT.
“These microorganisms can be healthy or unhealthy depending on the food we feed them. If they are unhealthy, all of our body's systems can be disrupted. Just as we depend on our biome, the health of our microbiome also depends on us,” he elaborated.
“We are increasingly learning that keeping the microbiome healthy is critical to all of our organs, including our heart and arteries,” Dr. Lebowitz continued. “We know that
Next, Dr. Chen-Han Chen, board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California, said: MNT that:
“More and more research is emerging that there is a link between the composition of someone's gut flora and their microbiome. There is a relationship between risk factors for the disease.
high blood pressure ,high cholesterol , [and]obesity ”
Previous studies have linked an imbalanced gut microbiome to an increased risk of several cardiovascular diseases, including:
Another way your gut microbiome can negatively impact your heart is by
“When gut microbes eat choline,
“TMAO is the bad guy because it's associated with cholesterol and arterial narrowing plaque in important arteries in the body, especially the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. Therefore, people with high TMAO levels are less likely to have a heart attack or stroke. The risks are higher,” he pointed out.
“Studies have linked TMAO to aspects of inflammation and vascular dysfunction,” Dr. Chen added. “It is also
A study published in October 2019 linked TMAO to severity and mortality in people with the following conditions:
A study published in March 2023 reported that increased TMAO in plasma was an independent predictor of disease.
And a study published in March 2022 found that increased TMAO levels and
Experts agree that the gut microbiome must be balanced for optimal function, as it affects not only heart health but also the health of the body as a whole. .
“When you think about the gut microbiome, it's like a beautiful farm,” explained Monique Richard, registered dietitian, nutritionist, and owner of Nutrition-In-Sight. MNT.
“Different gut bacteria, or microbiota, are like the building blocks of a garden, each with a unique role to play in contributing to a bountiful harvest. A garden needs healthy soil, clean water, and the right nutrients. , structure, and tender love and care,” she continued with the analogy.
According to Dr. Libowitz,
“Eating an alkaline diet rich in foods that feed good bacteria, including fruits and vegetables, will promote a healthy microbiome. Avoid excess refined carbohydrates, sugar, and processed foods. Eating foods that contain it can backfire and feed bad bacteria that cause inflammation that causes disease. Your arteries and heart are no exception. For example, if your arteries are inflamed, cholesterol can stick to your arteries. Masu.”
Richard said it is also important to note that each person's gut microbiome has the ability to help process what we eat and support various functions in digestion and systemic function. Ta.
“One example is that our gut microbes break down compounds into so-called
“Butyrate has many known benefits, including anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties. It’s more robust because it’s connected and works together,” Richard explained.
Medical experts agree that in addition to eating a heart-healthy diet, you also need to eat enough fiber to maintain a healthy heart-to-heart relationship.
“Foods that contain fiber are very heart-healthy; they're low in saturated fat and low in sodium,” Dr. Chen explained. “And the fiber itself actually feeds the gut bacteria. So the more fiber you have, the healthier you are. They process the fiber and break it down.”
“Fiber-rich foods definitely lower your risk of heart disease and stroke considerably,” said Dr. Rudolph Bedford, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Providence St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. MNT. “Fiber itself not only removes many bad toxins, but also helps lower cholesterol levels.”
“High-fiber diets are great because your microbiome breaks down fiber into beneficial things like short-chain fatty acids, which are associated with improved blood pressure, blood sugar levels, reduced inflammation, and weight loss. All of these benefits , leading to weight gain.” [cardiovascular] He is healthy,” Dr. Higgens added.
Previous studies have shown that increasing dietary fiber intake and
Eating the right foods can help keep your gut microbiome healthy, but in recent years there has been a lot of discussion about taking prebiotic and probiotic supplements to aid gut health. It has been done.
In the most basic terms, probiotics are bacteria that are beneficial to the gut microbiome, and prebiotics are food for those bacteria.
Some foods contain natural prebiotics, including oats, bananas, onions, artichokes, spinach, and chia seeds.
“The problem with probiotics is that they are 'nutraceuticals' and a lot of it is strain dependent, or in other words, the type of bacteria that is in the probiotic,” Bedford says. explained. “There's no question that certain types of probiotics can certainly help with gut health and may even help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
“But the truth is, there are so many different probiotics out there, and none of them are regulated by any government agency,” he continued. “It's a little difficult to recommend probiotics to patients, depending on what they're actually taking. You should always talk to your doctor before starting probiotics or prebiotics. there is.”
There's a lot of evidence linking the gut microbiome to cardiovascular health, so it's important to maintain a healthy diet rich in foods that support the good bacteria in your gut.
“The gut microbiome itself can cause elevated or decreased cholesterol levels and can cause increases in other types of chemicals. […] Some, such as TMAO, can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
“Having a healthy gut appears to be important for heart health, both through the indirect effect of improving risk factors for cardiovascular disease and the direct effect of TMAO promoting arterial occluding plaque,” Higgins said. the doctor said. “[It] will also support [the]
Dr. Lebowitz advised:
“When your diet is healthy, your diet promotes good health. Eating the right foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and cold, fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and sardines, reduces your risk of inflammation and heart disease. Proper nutrition can work wonders and even reverse some of the damage that has already been done.”
“The quality of what we consume is important, but so is the environment in which we consume it,” says Richard. “Take as much time as possible to sit at a table in a comfortable environment.”
“Take time to chew slowly, observe with all your senses, and enjoy the experience of eating. When we step away from technology and convenience and enjoy a meal together around the table, we are “We're getting much more nutrition than our guts. These habits are so much more important for our minds, hearts, and bodies than we can measure in research,” she stressed.
“It's also important to remember that everything is interconnected,” Richard added. “Nursing our 'inner garden' requires the growth of our minds, including exposure to nature and fresh air, loving relationships, activities that bring us joy and happiness, regular activity, and sunlight.” We need other ways to be protected.”
