Lactobacillus helveticus fermented milk lowers blood pressure in hypertensive subjects in 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement.
BACKGROUND
The present study was carried out to evaluate the blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect and the safety aspects of Lactobacillus helveticus LBK-16H fermented milk with high tripeptide doses on hypertensive subjects using 24-h ambulatory measurements (ABPM).


METHODS
In a randomized, double blinded placebo-controlled parallel group study, 94 hypertensive patients not receiving any drug treatment were given 150 mL twice daily of either L. helveticus LBK-16H fermented milk with a high concentration of tripeptides (Ile-Pro-Pro 7.5 mg/100 g and Val-Pro-Pro 10 mg/100 g) or a control product, for 10 weeks after a 4-week run-in period. Twenty-four-hour ABPM were taken at the beginning and at the end of the intervention period. The average baseline systolic and diastolic BP values were 132.6 +/- 9.9/83.0 +/- 8.0 mm Hg in the L. helveticus group and 130.3 +/- 9.6 /80.2 +/- 7.0 mm Hg in the control group.


RESULTS
There was a mean difference of -4.1 +/- 0.9 mm Hg in systolic (P = .001) and a -1.8 +/- 0.7 mm Hg in diastolic BP (P = .048) between the L. helveticus group and the control group. There was no difference in the sum of the adverse events (P = .820).


CONCLUSIONS
Lactobacillus helveticus LBK-16H fermented milk containing bioactive peptides, in daily use, does have a BP-lowering effect in hypertensive subjects and is thus a potential for the dietary treatment of hypertension.
Jauhiainen
Tiina
T
Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Vapaatalo
Heikki
H
Poussa
Tuija
T
Kyrönpalo
Sinikka
S
Rasmussen
Martin
M
Korpela
Riitta
R
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000178:diet therapy*; D052198:Lactobacillus helveticus; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D009819:Office Visits; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage
D008894:Milk Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; C489032:isoleucyl-prolyl-proline; C489031:valyl-prolyl-proline