Have high blood pressure? These foods might help, says study

22/05/2025

Have high blood pressure? These foods might help, says study

Live microbes diet and less sitting may lower death risk for people with high blood pressure.

NEW YORK, May 22: High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a widespread health condition that significantly impacts both the quality and length of life. In search of better management strategies, researchers recently examined whether dietary live microbes and sedentary behavior influence health outcomes in individuals with hypertension.

Published in Scientific Reports, the study explored how consuming live microorganisms through diet — and minimizing time spent sitting — might affect mortality risk. Foods like yogurt, kefir, and fermented vegetables are rich in live microbes and have shown potential benefits for gut and heart health.

Long hours of sitting—whether at work, while commuting, or during leisure time—can disrupt blood vessel function and raise blood pressure. Prolonged sedentary behavior has been linked to serious cardiovascular problems, as the body’s ability to regulate its temperature and vascular function deteriorates when movement is limited.

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers analyzed health and lifestyle data from over 15,000 U.S. adults with hypertension. Participants were grouped based on dietary microbe intake (low, moderate, high) and average daily sitting time (less than 5 hours, 5–8 hours, more than 8 hours).

Dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour food recall surveys. Foods were categorized by microbial content — processed and sterile foods contained the fewest microbes, while fermented and unprocessed foods had the most. Physical inactivity was assessed through the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, focusing on daily sitting habits.

Key findings

Participants with low live microbe intake had a higher risk of death from all causes, particularly heart disease.n
Those who consumed moderate to high levels of live microbe-rich foods had lower mortality risks, especially if they also limited their sitting time.n
People sitting less than five hours a day had the lowest risk of death, while those sitting five or more hours showed increased risks.n
A “U-shaped” relationship emerged: both very low and very high sitting times were linked to higher death risk, with moderate sitting (around 4 hours) showing the lowest risk.n
Among those sitting more than 4.1 hours daily, consuming more live microbe foods significantly reduced the risk of heart-related deaths.n

For individuals with hypertension, these insights underscore the potential benefits of integrating live-microbe-rich foods into the diet and reducing sedentary behavior. Simple dietary changes, such as incorporating fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi, along with increasing physical activity levels, can contribute to better health outcomes.

In summary, adopting a lifestyle that includes a diet rich in live microorganisms and minimizing sedentary behavior may offer protective benefits for heart health and overall longevity in individuals with hypertension. While further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms at play, these findings highlight the importance of small, actionable lifestyle changes in managing hypertension effectively.