Eating patterns that support beneficial gut microbes may improve survival outcomes for people living with coronary heart disease.
- Gut-friendly diets were linked to lower mortality in coronary heart disease
- Higher dietary scores showed the greatest benefit once a threshold was reached
- Diabetes appeared to modify the association between diet and survival
A diet that supports a healthy gut microbiota may be linked to better survival among people living with coronary heart disease, according to a study published in Medicine (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Association between the Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota and all-cause mortality in coronary heart disease: A retrospective cohort analysis of NHANES (2005-2018)
).
The findings suggest that eating patterns that support beneficial gut microbes play an important role in improving long-term health outcomes in this high-risk group.
The analysis included 1,537 adults with coronary heart disease. During follow-up, about 37% died from any cause. People with higher Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota (DI-GM) scores, reflecting diets more supportive of gut health, had a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality than those with the lowest scores.
The relationship was nonlinear, with the clearest benefits seen once DI-GM scores reached five or higher. The protective association was also weaker among people with diabetes, suggesting that diabetes may influence how gut-friendly diets affect health outcomes.
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How Gut-Friendly Eating May Support Heart Health
The Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota (DI-GM) measures how closely a person’s diet supports beneficial gut microbes. Foods and nutrients included in the index are known to encourage a healthier gut environment, while others are considered less favorable.
The diet pattern emphasizes:
- Fiber-rich foods
- Whole grains
- Broccoli
- Chickpeas
- Soybeans
- Fermented dairy products (like yogurt and kefir)
- Coffee
- Green tea
- Avocado
- Cranberries
It limits:
- Refined grains
- Red meat
- Processed meat
- High-fat diets
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Gut Microbiota and Coronary Heart Disease
The paper suggests that healthier eating patterns may influence gut microbiota in ways that benefit the heart.
It explains that beneficial gut bacteria produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids, which help support the intestinal lining, regulate inflammation, improve lipid metabolism, and promote healthy blood vessel function.
At the same time, a balanced gut microbiota may reduce production of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite associated with atherosclerosis.
Taken together, these findings suggest that heart-healthy eating may work through more than one pathway. Rather than simply providing nutrients, dietary choices may also help shape the gut environment that supports cardiovascular health.
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What the Findings Could Mean for Everyday Meals
Someone preparing breakfast might choose whole grains and fermented dairy instead of processed foods, while another person recovering from heart disease may add more fiber-rich vegetables and legumes to daily meals. Small dietary changes adhered consistently could help create an eating pattern that better supports gut health.
The findings also highlight that people with diabetes may not experience the same degree of benefit, indicating that dietary guidance may need to consider individual health conditions.
Can Your Diet Protect Both Your Gut and Heart?
Researchers increasingly recognize that the connection between diet and heart health extends beyond calories or fat content. The implications may also include how everyday food choices influence the microbes living in the digestive system, which in turn may affect long-term health.
In the paper, first author Fen Cao and colleagues write, “A diet with a higher DI-GM score, beneficial to microbiota flora health, was associated with lower ACM (all-cause mortality) in CHD patients.”
The authors note that improving dietary patterns and supporting gut microbiota could become a practical component of nutritional care for people with coronary heart disease, while additional studies may help refine how these findings can be applied in different groups.
Every meal offers an opportunity to support your overall health in small but meaningful ways. Choosing a balanced, gut-friendly eating pattern can be a positive step toward caring for both your digestive and heart health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a gut-friendly diet?
A: A gut-friendly diet emphasizes foods that support beneficial gut microbes, including fiber-rich foods, whole grains, legumes, fermented dairy products, and certain fruits and vegetables while limiting processed meats, refined grains, and high-fat diets.
Q: Can a gut-friendly diet lower the risk of death in heart disease?
A: This study found that people with coronary heart disease who had higher gut-friendly diet scores were less likely to die from any cause during the follow-up period.
Q: What is the Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota?
A: The Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota (DI-GM) is a scoring system that evaluates how well a person’s diet supports beneficial gut microbes based on intake of specific foods and nutrients.
Q: Does diabetes affect the benefits of a gut-friendly diet?
A: The analysis found that the association between higher DI-GM scores and lower mortality was weaker in people with diabetes, suggesting diabetes may modify this relationship.
Q: Which foods were included in the gut-friendly dietary pattern?
A: The dietary pattern included foods such as whole grains, broccoli, chickpeas, soybeans, fermented dairy products, coffee, green tea, avocado, cranberries, and other fiber-rich foods.
Reference:
- Association between the Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota and all-cause mortality in coronary heart disease: A retrospective cohort analysis of NHANES (2005–2018) – (https://www.ovid.com/jnls/md-journal/fulltext/10.1097/md.0000000000049532~association-between-the-dietary-index-for-gut-microbiota-and)
Source-Medindia