Key Summary
- Foods marketed as prebiotic or probiotic can contain excessive levels of salt and sugar, which may offset their digestive benefits.
- Common staples like sauerkraut and store-bought smoothies can lead to increased blood pressure or blood sugar spikes if consumed in high quantities.
- The BHF recommends a varied diet and diligent label-checking to ensure gut health trends don't inadvertently increase the risk of heart disease.
The British Heart Foundation has warned that gut-friendly foods may be beneficial for the microbiome, but may prove detrimental to heart health if taken in excess.
The foundation issued advice to help people protect their hearts when making food choices to keep their gut healthy and feed their ‘good’ gut bacteria.
This includes:
Kimchi: Contains probiotics but can be high in salt.
Kombucha: High in probiotics and can be a healthier alternative to fizzy drinks, but shop-bought versions can contain added sugar.
Fruit yogurts: Can contain probiotic live bacteria cultures but may also be high in sugar.
Smoothies: Contain high-fibre fruits but blending them breaks down the fibre and can cause a faster rise in blood sugar than whole fruit
Sauerkraut: Rich in healthy probiotics but may be high in salt. Shop bought versions may be pasteurised which will remove most live bacteria.
The organization said that while foods marketed as prebiotic, probiotic or good for the gut in other ways are very popular, it comes with cardiovascular disease risk.
The BHF's primary recommendation is to choose natural, whole-food sources where possible and to always check packaging labels for hidden additives before purchase.
Tracy Parker, BHF’s Nutrition Lead, said: “We encourage everyone to choose foods that can keep their gut microbiome healthy. The benefits are clear, and we are continuing to improve our understanding of how a gut-friendly diet may help our hearts.
“A lot of these products can contain high levels of salt or sugar though, so it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks. By ensuring you check package labels for added salt and sugars, and eat each in moderation, you can make sure the risks do not outweigh the benefits for your heart health.”
