Kefir lowers blood pressure

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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Like yogurt, kefir is a sour milk product. It contains viable bacteria that have a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora. This could even normalize high blood pressure values.

Previous research has shown that the bacteria in the intestine can affect blood pressure. An unfavorable microbiome in the gut can therefore contribute to high blood pressure.

Researchers led by Mirian Silva-Cutini have conducted experiments with rats to find out whether kefir can have a positive effect on blood pressure. To do this, they fed rats that had high blood pressure with kefir for nine weeks.

Another group of conspecifics with high blood pressure did not receive kefir. A third, healthy group was used for control.

Nine week kefir cure

After the nine-week kefir regimen, the rats' blood pressure had improved: it was around 152 mmHg. Normal for the animals are 84 to 134 mmHg, depending on the type and size. In the untreated blood pressure rats, on the other hand, it was significantly higher on average, namely 173 mmHg.

The amount of so-called endotoxins in the blood also decreased. These are toxins that can damage cells.

Improved bowel function

Above all, the function of the intestine benefited: The kefir regimen normalized the balance of four important intestinal microbes: Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Brucella and Bifidobacterium spp.

A healthy intestinal flora supports the intestine in its important doorkeeper function: On the one hand, the intestinal wall must form a barrier for pollutants and pathogens that enter the intestine with food. On the other hand, it must allow nutrients to pass from the inside of the intestine into the blood.

Effects in the brain

The effects of kefir even developed into the brain: the researchers found more microglial cells in the brain of the kefir rats. These phagocytes remove pollutants, pathogens and cell debris, promote the networking of neurons and have an anti-inflammatory effect.

In addition, the overactive production of tyrosine hydroxylase in the brain, especially in the hypothalamus, normalized. This enzyme is needed to make L-Dopa. This, in turn, is the preliminary stage for the central neurotransmitters dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline.

It is interesting that the kefir cure affects the hypothalamus of all things. Because this controls the control center for the blood pressure in the medulla oblongata, which is part of the brain stem.

Improved communication between the gut and the brain

"Our data indicate that kefir has a positive effect on blood pressure by improving communication between the intestines and the brain," the authors write. However, these findings so far only apply to rats. What is the effect of kefir on the intestinal flora in humans and ultimately? whose blood pressure has, have to show further studies.

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