Regularly consuming probiotics, or the "good" bacteria found in yogurt, milk and cheese, may help control blood pressure, according to a new review of past studies.
'Friendly' lactobacillus bacteria seen through a scanning electron microscope. So-called probiotics are being studied for their effects on a variety of ailments, including ADHD and, in this case, high blood pressure. (The Associated Press)
Researchers found that consuming the proper amount of probiotics over at least two months appeared to modestly lower blood pressure.
"I do not think the general public understands how probiotics might be beneficial to health at this stage," said Jing Sun, who worked on the study at the Griffith University School of Medicine and Griffith Health Institute in Queensland, Australia.
"The challenge to us is to convince patients and clinicians to accept the product in daily life," Sun said.
Past studies have shown probiotics can have a positive effect on blood sugar, cholesterol and certain hormones — all of which can impact blood flow, she noted.
The new findings do not mean people should replace their blood pressure medication with probiotics and it is still unclear which strain or combination of strains might work best.
Normal blood pressure is generally considered to be a systolic reading of less than 120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and a diastolic reading of less than 80 mm Hg. High blood pressure starts at 140/90 mm Hg and increases a person's risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disorders and other health problems.
For some people with high blood pressure the only effective treatment has been medication, but that means costs and possible side effects.
9 studies combined
The new review, published in the journal Hypertension, combined the results of nine studies that randomly assigned participants to take probiotics or not. Seven of the trials were double-blind, meaning neither the participants nor the experimenters knew who received probiotics and who received a probiotic-free placebo until the end of the study. The different strains of probiotics were delivered in products like yogurt and milk.
The studies included a total of almost 550 people.
The researchers found that on average, probiotic consumption lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 3.56 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 2.38 mm Hg, compared to a placebo or no treatment.
Getting at least 100 billion colony-forming units of probiotics each day, the amount in a carton of some yogurts, seemed to be necessary for significant blood pressure improvements. And no change in blood pressure was seen among participants who were given probiotics for less than eight weeks.
The researchers noted that the effect of probiotics was strongest among people who already had elevated blood pressure.
'Cannot extrapolate'
Dr. Shira Doron, who has studied probiotics at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said that because probiotics only seemed to have an effect under certain conditions in specific groups of patients, it's hard to know how to make recommendations to patients at this time.
What's more, she said, "The fact that each study within this meta-analysis was done using a different probiotic or combination of probiotics means that I as a physician am completely unable to say to my patient, 'Go out and buy probiotic X. It was shown to be effective in clinical trials.'
"We know no two probiotics act alike," Doron explained. "One simply cannot extrapolate from a study of one probiotic that another strain or even another dose or another source — dairy product, capsule, sachet, etc. — will work."
"I don't think this is 'ready for prime time' yet, as they say. That being said, probiotics might help, and generally don't hurt, except perhaps your wallet, so if someone with high blood pressure wants to try probiotics as an adjunct to their regular blood pressure medication, I say go for it," she said.
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