A community-based cohort study in Germany suggested that the composition of the gut microbiome might explain the cross-sectional association of habitual flavonoid and flavonoid-rich food intake with blood pressure (BP). The study included 904 participants, and 16S ribosomal RNA was sequenced for the gut microbiome composition. Higher total flavonoid intakes and specifically the polymer subclass was associated with lower systolic BP (SBP). In food-based analyses, a higher intake of berries and red wine were associated with lower SBP and pulse pressure. There were no associations with diastolic BP. In food-based analyses, higher intakes of anthocyanin-rich berries and red wine were associated with higher alpha diversity. Higher intakes of berries and apples/pears were associated with a lower abundance of Parabacteroides. Structural equation modeling of these novel data suggests that microbial factors explained 15.2% to the association between flavonoid-rich foods and clinically relevant lower SBP. Source: https://www.ahajournals.org/
