Blueberries reduce blood vessel inflammation in mice only with gut microbes present

A preclinical study demonstrated that gut microbes are essential for converting blueberry phytochemicals into metabolites that reduce vascular inflammation in mice. In mice on a high-fat diet, blueberry supplementation lowered inflammatory markers and monocyte adhesion to blood vessels, but these effects vanished when gut microbes were depleted by antibiotics. This research highlights the critical role of gut microbiota in mediating the cardiovascular benefits of blueberries.

Originally published by gnews