Garden Pea Proteins May Fight High Blood Pressure

WASHINGTON—New research reveals that proteins found in yellow garden peas show promise as a natural food additive or dietary supplement for fighting high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

For the study, presented at the American Chemical Society's 237th National Meeting, researchers purified a mixture of small proteins—called pea protein hydrolysate—from the yellow garden pea. The researchers fed small daily doses of the protein mixture to laboratory rats with polycystic kidney disease, a severe form of kidney disease used as a model for research on CKD. At the end of the 8-week-long study period, the protein-fed rats with kidney disease showed a 20 percent drop in blood pressure when compared to diseased rats on a normal diet.

"In people with high blood pressure, our protein could potentially delay or prevent the onset of kidney damage," says study presenter Rotimi Aluko, Ph.D., a food chemist at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. "In people who already have kidney disease, our protein may help them maintain normal blood pressure levels so they can live longer."

Scientists do not know exactly how the pea extract works. However, it appears to boost production of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), a protein that boosts kidney function. Based on the results, the researchers plan to test the protein extract in humans with mild hypertension within the next year.