Researchers in Canada are reporting that proteins found in a common garden pea show promise as a natural food additive or new dietary supplement for fighting high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Those potentially life-threatening conditions affect millions of people worldwide.
This study was presented at the American Chemical Society National meeting in Salt Lake City on Sunday March 22. Abstract # AGFD 002 Dr. Rotimi E. Aluko Ph.D Department of Human Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Canada.
High blood pressure, for hypertension, is a major risk factor for CKD, a condition that as been affecting an increasing number of people in the United states and other countries. Estimates suggest that 13 percent of American adults --- about 26 million people --- have chronic kidney disease, up from 10 percent, or about 20 million people,in the 1990s. CKD is difficult to treat, and may progress to end-stage kidney disease that requires kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant. That situation is fostering a search for new ways of treating CKD and preserving kidney function.
Working with University of Manitoba colleague Harold Aukem, PhD., Aluko 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, the researches say.
To view the story about this paper please use this link:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1285204
Information for this blog was obtained from a press release written by the ACS
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