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An estimated 40% of the global adult population have high blood pressure, or hypertension, which puts people at risk of cardiovascular disease and other dangerous health conditions. Recent studies suggest that probiotics may offer a protective effect. A study adds two new strains to the list of potential antihypertensive probiotics. In experiments on hypertensive mice, treatment with the two probiotics, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, returned blood pressure to normal levels. Previous studies have connected the rising rates of hypertension worldwide to increasing consumption of sugar. It likely boosts blood pressure through many mechanisms—increased insulin resistance or salt retention, for...

Bacteria have thousands of genes and functions that we, the human host, do not have. For instance, bacteria can help us digest fiber, provide support to our immune systems, and absorb important nutrients. But reaping the benefits of "good bacteria" is easier said than done. Andrea Azcarate-Peril, Ph.D., is trying to understand how to better prescribe probiotics based on our individual microbiomes—or the collection of genomes from all microbes that naturally live inside of us. Azcarate-Peril says that if you want to start boosting your microbiome more effectively and reliably, rotate your probiotics and consume a variety of fermented foods...