BioZate 1 Lowers Blood Pressure, Cholesterol

MINNEAPOLISBioZate 1 (Davisco Foods International Inc.), a hydrolyzed whey protein rich in bioactive peptides, was found to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich) (8, 11:775-82, 2006), included 30 prehypertensive or stage 1 hypertensive subjects (with blood pressure > or = 120/80 mm Hg and < or = 155/95 mm Hg). Participants randomly received 20 g/d of either a hydrolyzed whey protein (active treatment, BioZate 1) or an unmodified whey protein (control) over a six-week period; blood pressure, blood lipids, safety measures, side effects and diet were evaluated throughout. A follow-up was conducted four weeks later. Those taking BioZate 1 had a mean reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure8.0+/-3.2 mm Hg in (P<.05) and 5.5+/-2.1 mm Hg (P<.05), respectivelycompared with control. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly improved by treatment. Researchers concluded whey-derived peptides might be a viable treatment option for prehypertensive and/ or stage 1 hypertensive populations.