title: Whey protein lowers blood pressure and improves endothelial function and lipid biomarkers in adults with prehypertension and mild hypertension: results from the chronic Whey2Go randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the greatest cause of death globally, and their reduction is a key public-health target. High blood pressure (BP) affects 1 in 3 people in the United Kingdom, and previous studies have shown that milk consumption is associated with lower BP.
  
  
  
  We investigated whether intact milk proteins lower 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (AMBP) and other risk markers of CVD.
  
  
  
  The trial was a double-blinded, randomized, 3-way-crossover, controlled intervention study. Forty-two participants were randomly assigned to consume 2 × 28 g whey protein/d, 2 × 28 g Ca caseinate/d, or 2 × 27 g maltodextrin (control)/d for 8 wk separated by a 4-wk washout. The effects of these interventions were examined with the use of a linear mixed-model ANOVA.
  
  
  
  Thirty-eight participants completed the study. Significant reductions in 24-h BP [for systolic blood pressure (SBP): -3.9 mm Hg; for diastolic blood pressure (DBP): -2.5 mm Hg; P = 0.050 for both)] were observed after whey-protein consumption compared with control intake. After whey-protein supplementation compared with control intake, peripheral and central systolic pressures [-5.7 mm Hg (P = 0.007) and -5.4 mm Hg (P = 0.012), respectively] and mean pressures [-3.7 mm Hg (P = 0.025) and -4.0 mm Hg (P = 0.019), respectively] were also lowered. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) increased significantly after both whey-protein and calcium-caseinate intakes compared with control intake [1.31% (P < 0.001) and 0.83% (P = 0.003), respectively]. Although both whey protein and calcium caseinate significantly lowered total cholesterol [-0.26 mmol/L (P = 0.013) and -0.20 mmol/L (P = 0.042), respectively], only whey protein decreased triacylglycerol (-0.23 mmol/L; P = 0.025) compared with the effect of the control. Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 were reduced after whey protein consumption (P = 0.011) and after calcium-caseinate consumption (P = 0.039), respectively, compared with after control intake.
  
  
  
  The consumption of unhydrolyzed milk proteins (56 g/d) for 8 wk improved vascular reactivity, biomarkers of endothelial function, and lipid risk factors. Whey-protein supplementation also lowered 24-h ambulatory SBP and DBP. These results may have important implications for public health. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02090842.
authors: Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy, and.|Food Production and Quality Research Division, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom; and.
authors: Ágnes A
authors: 0000-0002-8812-0749
authors: ÁA
authors: Fekete
authors: Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors: Carlotta
authors: 0000-0002-3717-5336
authors: C
authors: Giromini
authors: Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy, and.
authors: Yianna
authors: 0000-0002-2260-8477
authors: Y
authors: Chatzidiakou
authors: Food Production and Quality Research Division, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom; and.
authors: D Ian
authors: DI
authors: Givens
authors: Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences and Institute for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy, and j.a.lovegrove@reading.ac.uk.
authors: Julie A
authors: 0000-0001-7633-9455
authors: JA
authors: Lovegrove
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058246:Prehypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D000067816:Whey Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002364:Caseins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D000067816:Whey Proteins; C484216:calcium caseinate
keywords: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition; augmentation index; blood pressure; cardiometabolic health; caseinate; dairy; flow-mediated dilatation; milk protein; vascular function; whey