The gut and cardiovascular health - By Brittany

Heart health and the gut microbiome

Cardiovascular disease (disease of the heart and blood vessels) is the leading cause of death in the UK and worldwide.

Luckily, there are things we can do to look after our heart health! Lifestyle factors like diet and exercise are important for looking after our heart.

💛Meeting the guidelines for 150 minutes of moderate intensity (activity where you can still hold a conversation like walking) physical activity/wk

💛Reducing salt intake - we should be consuming less than 6g/day

💛Fruit and vegetable intake 5-10 portions/day

💛Nuts and olive oil both are supported by evidence for their benefits to heart health

💛Increasing dietary fibre - wholegrains, legumes (beans, peas)

💛Include omega 3s in your diet. The recommendations is to include two portions of fish a week, one of them being oily fish

💚There is emerging evidence and links between the gut microbiome and heart health - this is a complex interaction that is not fully understood yet (there is always more work to be done in science!)

A change in the composition of the gut microbiome called dysbiosis is linked to risk factors for cardiovascular disease for example, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and the development of heart disease like atherosclerosis.

💛A lack of some beneficial bacteria and a higher prevalence of less beneficial bacteria types in the gut is related to the production of chemical compounds that increase inflammation and are proatherogenic (increase the build up of fat in the blood vessels)

Some good gut bacteria are reported to help regulate blood pressure and lipid levels in the blood.

What does this mean for our diet?

There is some evidence for the heart healthy food mentioned above being beneficial for the gut microbiome.

A diet with enough fruits and vegetables, fibre and omega 3s can be beneficial to the gut microbiome and support good gut bacteria. A diet high in animal fats can be less beneficial to gut bacteria.

Looking after your heart and gut bacteria could go hand in hand. We still need further research on heart health and the gut microbiome, but there is evidence to support diet patterns for heart health! ❤