22 July 2014 - MNT - Could consuming probiotics help lower blood pressure?

To reach their findings, Sun and his team analyzed nine high-quality studies that assessed the probiotic consumption of 543 adults who had either normal or high blood pressure.

They found that on average, participants who had consumed probiotics daily for 8 weeks or more had a 3.5 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart beats) and a 2.38 mm Hg lower diastolic blood pressure (pressure in the arteries between heartbeats), compared with those who did not consume probiotics.

Such effects were strongest among participants with high blood pressure - defined as 130/85 mm Hg or more - and greater benefits were found from consumption of probiotic products that contained multiple bacteria.