Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background: Probiotic consumption may have the potential to improve blood pressure in patients with hypertension. However, there is limited evidence regarding the specific daily dosage of probiotics that is directly associated with a reduced probability of hypertension occurrence in the general population.
Aim: The study aims to evaluate the relationship between the amount of probiotics consumed per day and hypertension.
Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of data from a survey of employees at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) was conducted. Baseline characteristics, hypertension status, and probiotic consumption were collected in 2017. Two tablespoons of kimchi or pickles, 200 mL of fermented milk, or 200 mL of yogurt constitute one portion. The mean portion per day was calculated by summing up all the probiotics consumed per day. Logistic regression models comparing participants among the non-probiotic group, the less than one portion of probiotics per day group (< 1 portion/day), and the more than one portion of probiotics per day group (≥ 1 portion/day) were analyzed to explore the association between the amount of probiotic consumption and hypertension.
Results: The study included 1218 participants. The mean (SD) age was 73.3 (4.3) years, with 870 (71.4%) being male and 1014 (83.2%) having hypertension. Of all, 545 (44.7%) were non-probiotic users, 539 (44.3%) were using < 1 portion/day, and 134 (11.0%) were using ≥ 1 portion/day. For the ≥ 1 portion/day group, after univariate analysis, individuals were statistically 0.56 times less likely to have hypertension compared to those in the non-probiotic group, while those in the < 1 portion/day group did not meet statistical significance. Multiple logistic regression analysis also demonstrated that consuming ≥ 1 portion/day of probiotics was significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of having hypertension, with an odd ratio of 0.55 (95%CI 0.31-0.96).
Conclusion: Consuming ≥ 1 portion/day of probiotics is associated with a decreased likelihood of having hypertension. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to determine the optimal amount of probiotic intake as a supplementary treatment for hypertension.