More Chocolate! More Tea!

Flavonoids, which are found in foods like chocolate, berries, and tea, play a key role in heart health

A diet rich in flavonoid compounds is linked to lower blood pressure, according to a new study. The association is partly explained by an improved gut microbiome. Flavonoids are compounds found in plants. Foods rich in flavonoids include vegetables, fruits such as apples, pears, and berries, and chocolate, tea, and wine. In the body, they act as antioxidants and prevent damage to cells. They are broken down by the gut microbiome.

“Our gut microbiome plays a key role in metabolizing flavonoids to enhance their cardioprotective effects, and this study provides evidence to suggest these blood-pressure-lowering effects are achievable with simple changes to the daily diet, said Prof Aedín Cassidy at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, lead investigator of the study. The World Health Organization lists cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause of death worldwide in 2019.

Previous research has reported differences in the composition of the gut microbiome between those with and without CVD, and that flavonoids may reduce the risk of heart disease.