A study has discovered some new links between the gut microbiome, inflammation and heart disease.
The findings, which have been published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reveal that supplementing with a single probiotic combined with a prebiotic soluble dietary fibre can protect against heart disease.
The gut-heart axis
The health of an individual’s gut microbiome has been linked to a plethora of other wellness aspects, including cognition, immunity and the metabolism.
As an increasing amount of research has highlighted the ability of gut bacteria to influence our overall health, researchers at APC Microbiome Ireland wanted to determine how these crucial "good" micro-organisms can influence the heart.
The team, which is based at the University College Cork, collaborated with food ingredient specialist Tate & Lyle to determine the impacts of synbiotic supplementation on both cardiovascular and gut health.
To assess the potential of synbiotic combinations in supporting heart health, researchers gave pigs Tate & Lyle’s PROMITOR soluble corn fibre alongside a singular probiotic strain.
They then measured how the combination influenced the parameters of diet-induced cardiac disease, and how this could impact heart muscle damage.
Synbiotics prove effective in boosting heart health
From the 12-week study, it was determined that the imbalance of gut microbes and gut-centred inflammation can contribute to heart damage.
It was also observed that animals with metabolic syndrome experience a significant loss of the mucus layer present in the gut, which could potentially lead to the gut’s susceptibility to pathogens.
These animals also had an increased expression of IL1β and IL-10, as well the boosted downstream signalling of NLRP3 — all of which are involved in the inflammatory response.
Notably, researchers also found that using a probiotic and a prebiotic together daily could reduce the heart muscle damage caused by diet-induced cardiac disease.
The synbiotic was found to reduce the dimension of the left atrium by 20%, while also reducing the thickness of the left ventricle in animal models with metabolic syndrome.
Interestingly, this effect wasn’t seen with either a prebiotic or probiotic on it’s own, highlighting the potential of the combination in supporting heart health in this population.
The combination was also found to enhance mucus layer production, while reducing inflammation-related markers in the gut — which was not observed in the prebiotic or probiotic only groups.
"This is the first time that a bacteria residing only in the gut has successfully been used to treat heart disease associated with obesity and high blood pressure, and our synbiotic treatment equals some of the best available cardiac drugs in a human scale model."
"This work opens new avenues for potentially groundbreaking disease-modifying therapy in patients with obesity, high blood pressure and diet-related heart disease," said Prof. Noel Caplice, an APC Principal Investigator, Chair of Cardiovascular Sciences at UCC and Consultant Cardiologist at Cork University Hospital.
Prof. Catherine Stanton, Senior Principal Research Officer at Teagasc Moorepark Food Research Centre and an APC Principal Investigator, emphasised the innovative potential of this work: “This study highlights the critical role the gut microbiome plays in our health and physiology."
"Our results are a testament to the power of harnessing gut microbes to protect against some chronic diseases like heart failure. It’s an exciting step forward in personalised nutrition.”
Dr Kavita Karnik, Global Head of Nutrition, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at Tate & Lyle praised the innovative work, commenting: "At Tate & Lyle, we are proud to support and partner in cutting-edge research that explores how our dietary fibres, when combined with probiotic strains, can be used to improve health outcomes."
"It is exciting to see the integral role played by PROMITOR Soluble Corn Fibre in this unique symbiotic combination. This work creates new opportunities to leverage our science and ingredients to have a positive impact on significant public health challenges such as obesity and associated cardiometabolic outcomes."