Probiotics and the Heart? What the Research Suggests If you’ve never given much thought to the microbes living in your gut, recent research may change that. Scientists have long known that the intestinal microbiome influences digestion and immune function. Increasingly, research suggests it may also affect systems far beyond the gut including the cardiovascular system. What the Study Found In a study published in the FASEB Journal, researchers examined how differences in gut bacteria influenced heart injury outcomes in laboratory rats. They found: Variations in intestinal microbiota were associated with differences in heart injury severity. Supplementation with a specific probiotic strain (Lactobacillus plantarum 299v in some reports) was associated with improved recovery markers in animal models. Important context: This was an animal study. Human cardiovascular outcomes were not directly tested. Translating findings from rodents to humans requires further research.…