Probiotics are somewhat of an enigma; it is known that they are good for you, however many are not aware of the full range of benefits. Probiotics are associated with improved gut health, improved digestion and improved immunity. However, further benefits associated with probiotics are vastly unknown and until recently have not been researched.
A meta-analysis was conducted in Australia by the research team (Khalesi et al 2014) at Griffith University to analyse the effects of Probiotics on blood pressure. The interaction between probiotics and blood pressure may not be something you initially think of; however the results of the study indicate a beneficial interaction.
Probiotics were shown to significantly reduce both systolic (-3.56 mmHg) and diastolic (-2.38mmHg) blood pressure compared to control groups. The results also indicated that taking probiotics from multiple sources caused a greater reduction in blood pressure when compared to probiotics from a single source. The effects of probiotics on reducing blood pressure were more profound in those who had a higher baseline blood pressure. This indicates that those who suffer from hypertension could see greater results from supplementing with probiotics.
Supplementing with probiotics for >8 weeks from multiple sources seems to be the most effective way to reduce blood pressure when using probiotics. BULK POWDERS™ Complete Probiotic™ provides you with 8 billion colony forming units (CFUs) from 5 different strains at only £9.99.
REFERENCES
Khalesi et al (2014) Effect of Probiotics on Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Published online before print July 21, 2014,doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.114.03469
