A bespoke pharmacy to control blood pressure

Did you know that the key to controlling your blood pressure lies not with prescription drugs but with a tiny microorganism that lives in your gut? I did know about this but wanted to understand the mechanism and it turns out to be fascinating. There are trillions of microorganisms living in our gut including bacteria, yeasts, viruses and parasites. Some of the bacteria feed off the non-digestible fibre we eat to produce chemicals, one of which is a short chain fatty acid called butyrate. Butyrate’s main function is to provide energy for the cells that line the colon but some of it also enters our blood stream where it acts an anti-inflammatory agent and vasodilator. A vasodilator is a substance that widens our blood vessels by relaxing smooth muscle cells in the blood vessel walls. This anti-inflammatory effect and the vasodilation both act to reduce blood pressure. You don’t need to take any tablets to get this effect. The bacteria in your gut produce the chemical which will do it for you. All you have to do is feed the bacteria in your gut. Non-digestible fibre comes only from plants. Good sources are seeds, nuts, whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

In addition to feeding the good bugs, you have to restrict the food the bad bugs eat otherwise they will outcompete the good guys. There are really no surprises here for what to avoid: ultra-processed foods, high-sugar foods, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, refined grains, salt and red meat. This means bacon, sausages, biscuits, french fries, breakfast cereals, pre-made pizzas, sweetened beverages, hot dogs and the list goes on to include pretty much all the stuff most people eat in western societies every day.

Butyrate doesn’t just improve blood pressure markers, it’s associated with reduced risk of many chronic health conditions afflicting human populations like asthma, IBS, rheumatoid arthritis, colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease, insomnia, anxiety and type 2 diabetes. Now I know what some people will be thinking: “I’ll just buy some butyrate online and swallow it”. But I’m afraid that won’t work. Studies find this is not effective. It needs to be made by the little dudes living in your intestines. Instead of buying expensive medicines and supplements, use your body’s own pharmacy – feed the little dudes fibre and they’ll produce exactly the right medicine bespoke for you, in the right quantity, free of charge and free of bad side-effects.