Dietary proteins and blood pressure regulation

A high protein diet may improve blood pressure. It is still unclear whether that is due to the proteins themselves and which protein-rich dietary sources have the best effect. This PhD dissertation describes research into whether the daily consumption of a mixture of purified animal and vegetable proteins instead of carbohydrates (glucose) influenced the blood pressure of people who were overweight and had slightly elevated blood pressure. The daily replacement of 60 grams of carbohydrates in the diet for 60 grams of the protein mixture reduced the subjects’ blood pressure after four weeks. Improved vascular function might play a role in this. However, observations of blood pressure and vascular function after protein intake did not directly confirm this idea and showed that a larger drop in blood pressure after carbohydrate intake made no difference to vascular function. A possible explanation is that proteins and carbohydrates cause various hormonal effects directly after ingestion, as a result of which the blood pressure response is different from the long-term effect that is observed.