(At least in rats...)

Pea Protein May Cut Blood Pressure and Help Kidneys

April 2009

Proteins from peas may reduce blood pressure and improve kidney health, according to a new study from Canada.

Rats fed pea protein hydrolysate extracted from the yellow garden pea experienced a 20% drop in blood pressure when compared to rats on a normal diet, scientists from the University of Manitoba told attendees at the American Chemical Society's 237th National Meeting.

"In people with high blood pressure our protein could potentially delay or prevent the onset of kidney damage," said Rotimi Aluko, PhD. "In people who already have kidney disease, our protein may help them maintain normal blood pressure levels so they can live longer."

The study, which is yet to be published in a peer-review journal, involved feeding small daily doses of the protein to laboratory rats with polycystic kidney disease, a severe form of kidney disease used as a model for research on chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition that has been affecting an increasing number of people in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Dr. Aluko told attendees at the ACS meeting that after eight weeks the protein-fed rats with kidney disease showed a 20% decrease in blood pressure when compared to diseased rats on a normal diet.

"This is significant because a majority of CKD patients actually die from cardiovascular complications that arise from the high blood pressure associated with kidney malfunction," Dr. Aluko noted.

The researchers also report that consumption of the pea extract produced a 30% increase in urine production in the diseased rats, bringing their urine to within normal levels.

Commenting on other studies in this area, Dr. Aluko said: "There has been some work on in-vitro effects of pea protein hydrolysate but ours is the first to demonstrate actual lowering of blood pressure in an animal model."

The researchers are currently doing a clinical trial with mildly hypertensive human volunteers, with results expected in the autumn, he said. "The rat model we used had both CKD and hypertension. Results from the current clinical trial will let us know whether the product works in hypertensive individuals," he added.

Presented at the American Chemical Society's National Meeting

I've just started hearing about pea protein. I think I'm going to give it a try since I just ran out of hemp protein. Thanks for the info.

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