In a nutshell, the anti-inflammatory flavonoid found in citrus called hesperidin may help with cardiovascular health and preventing neuroinflammation.

COVID-19 Prevention? Hesperidin has recently been shown to bind to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and studies from 2005 show that hesperidin was a potent inhibitor of the original SARS-CoV virus.

Athletes are drinking beet juice to boost it, and people having chest pains pop nitroglycerine under their tongue with chest pain. What are we talking about here? Nitric oxide – a little molecule that is needed in just the right amount.

Why is this important? Nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule in the endothelium, impacting blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, brain health, and more. 

Lifestyle factors and genetic variants in nitric oxide related genes are important here. 

Study: Impact of the common MTHFR 677C→T polymorphism on blood pressure in adulthood and role of riboflavin in modifying the genetic risk of hypertension: evidence from the JINGO project BMC Medicine Sept 2020

The MTHFR C677T variant is linked in numerous studies to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This new study shows that people who carry the MTHFR 677 T/T genotype (check your MTHFR genotype here) are at a 42% increased relative risk of high blood pressure throughout adulthood.

Interestingly, the researchers also looked at how vitamin B2 (riboflavin) interacted with the MTHFR 677 TT genotype… The results showed that people with two copies of the variant who also had low or deficient riboflavin were at a 3-fold increased risk of high blood pressure. (Read more about riboflavin and your genes)

Study: Bifidobacterium adolescentis as a key member of the human gut microbiota in the production of GABA  Aug. 2020

This new study published in Nature Research looked at over a thousand different Bifidobacteria strains, investigating how they interact with their host (e.g. you and I).

The results showed that Bifidobacterium adolescentis stimulate the production of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in mood, anxiety, blood pressure, and pain.

(Read more about GABA, and genetics)

The results of this study tie in nicely with other studies showing that probiotic bacterial strains can affect mood and cognition. Previous studies had also shown that a couple of other bifido species produced GABA, but this study showed that B. adolescentis produces the highest amount.