Researching fiber has a similar effect on high blood pressure as blood pressure pills

The protective effect of propionic acid

Fiber, for example, derived from whole grains and fruits, has a protective effect against the serious health effects of high blood pressure. This effect has been observed for some time now and nutritional societies have been advocating increased fiber intake for years. A German research team has now found out why the fiber has this positive effect. During digestion, the short-chain fatty acid propionic acid, which acts like a drug on the organism.

Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin have deciphered why dietary fibers can protect our body against heart disease. The decomposition product propionic acid, which is formed during the digestion of fiber, is responsible for the protective function. According to the study, propionic acid acts directly on the immune system, soothing inflammatory processes that drive high blood pressure and other heart diseases. The study results have recently been published in the journal "Circulation".

Fiber is healthy - that's known. Researchers recently discovered that the digestive product propionic acid from fiber can protect our heart from harmful effects. (Image: PhotoSG / fotolia.com)

How propionic acid protects the heart

According to the research group, the short-chain fatty acid propionic acid in particular is responsible for the protective effect of dietary fiber. The small molecule acts directly on the immune system and calm down those immune cells that boost blood pressure and propel inflammatory processes. "Only through our study has it become clear that the substance takes the detour via the immune system and thus acts on the heart and blood vessels," report. Nicola Wilck and Hendrik Bartolomaeus in the press release on the study results.

Inflammatory processes are soothed

"Especially those T-helper cells that fuel inflammatory processes and co-cause high blood pressure would be so reassuring," the experts write. This has an immediate effect on the performance of the heart. The fatty acid propionic acid protects against the effects of hypertension such as arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis), tissue remodeling of the heart and arrhythmia.

Heart disease mice live longer with propionic acid

The positive effect of propionic acid was tested by the team on mice. Electrical stimuli triggered cardiac arrhythmias in 70 percent of the animals. In mice that had previously received propionic acid, the artificial release of the disorder reaches only 20 percent of the animals. Using ultrasound, tissue sampling, and cell analysis, researchers found that propionic acid reduced blood pressure-related damage to the animal's circulatory system, significantly increasing their survival rates.

Like a drug

"Propionic acid works against a spectrum of hypertension-related damage to the cardiovascular system," summarizes working group leader Professor Dominik N. Müller. The team concludes that the acid could also be useful as a standalone drug for the treatment of high blood pressure. "This could be particularly interesting for the treatment of patients who have too little of this fatty acid," said the professor.

Propionic acid soon available as a standalone drug?

The research group sees short-chain fatty acid as a new option for treating heart disease. "Perhaps it makes sense to administer propionic acid or a chemical precursor directly as a drug," Dr. Wilck. Before that, however, propionic acid still has to prove itself in everyday clinical practice. Since the fatty acid is already approved for consumption and it is used, for example, as a preservative, but the barriers to introduction are low. "Under these favorable conditions, hopefully the propionic acid will quickly make the leap from the laboratory to those affected," concludes the expert.

Intestinal bacteria in the focus of science

The role that intestinal bacteria play in our health is becoming increasingly clear with recent studies. Two other studies recently discovered how intestinal bacteria affect the risks of heart attack and stroke and how the intestinal flora releases harmful compounds into the bloodstream when digesting red meat. Without red meat, the risk of heart disease decreases after 30 days. (Vb)