Love is in the air! February is a month typically associated with love and sweethearts. It’s also American Heart Month, a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Let’s get to know your heart! The heart is a muscle that provides the circulation of all of the nutrients and phytochemicals that your body uses to stay at optimum health. However, getting those good compounds to your body’s tissues is not the only reason to eat healthfully. To function optimally, the heart relies on…your gut!

In a study published in 2025, scientists discovered that a compound that is detrimental to heart health is more prevalent in people who eat more animal protein.¹ This compound is made by certain bacteria in the gut. When we feed these bacteria with diets high in animal protein their byproducts can harm our heart health. In contrast, when we eat lots of prebiotics and probiotics, we encourage good bacteria to live in our gut and work for us by breaking down powerful phytochemicals into the antioxidants that our body (especially our heart) needs!²

Diet-related chronic inflammation can lead to cardiovascular disease. Anthocyanins help diminish inflammation especially in the case of metabolic disease like diabetes.3 Increasing anthocyanins in your diet can help prevent the progression of diabetes-related cardiovascular inflammatory conditions.³ Where can you find anthocyanins and prebiotics to add to your diet to feed the good bacteria in your gut?

Top Takeaways: Your Heart and YOU

Here are simple steps YOU can put into practice:

• Pair prebiotic fiber with anthocyanins Black beans, red cabbage, and red leaf lettuce are good choices.
• Choose fermented foods Try different flavors of kombucha, water kefir, or kimchi! Find a class with your local Extension agent to make your own fermented foods!
• Consistency is Key! One serving of blueberries won’t feed those bacteria forever! Include these anthocyanin-rich foods into each meal for the strongest benefit.

Citations

Heianza, Y., Tiwari, S., Wang, X., Watrous, J. D., Rexrode, K. M., Hu, F. B., Alotaibi, M., Jain, M., Sun, Q., Manson, J. E., & Qi, L. (2025). Gut-Microbiota-Related Metabolite Phenylacetylglutamine and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease Among Women. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 110(5), e1531–e1539. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae525

Martins, D., Silva, C., Ferreira, A. C., Dourado, S., Albuquerque, A., Saraiva, F., Batista, A. B., Castro, P., Leite-Moreira, A., Barros, A. S., & Miranda, I. M. (2024). Unravelling the Gut Microbiome Role in Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis. Biomolecules, 14(6), 731. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14060731

Mao, T., Akshit, F. N. U., & Mohan, M. S. (2023). Effects of anthocyanin supplementation in diet on glycemic and related cardiovascular biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10, 1199815. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1199815

This article first appeared in the February 2026 e-news FRESH Rx. Subscribe for similar content delivered to your inbox monthly.