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

Background: 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.Objective: We investigated whether intact milk proteins lower 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (AMBP) and other risk markers of CVD.Design: 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.Results: 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.Conclusions: 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.

Saturated fats, dairy foods and health: A curious paradox?

“…The recent study of Fekete et al . () reported that whilst whey protein and calcium caseinate both significantly reduced TC (−20.26 mmol/l, P = 0.013 and −20.20 mmol/l, P = 0.042, respectively), only whey protein reduced TAG (−20.23 mmol/l, P = 0.025) compared with the control.…”

“…A recent 8‐week RCT (Fekete et al . ) showed that whey protein isolate (two doses of 28 g, mixed with water, per day) had a greater hypotensive effect than casein and the effects were seen on both central and peripheral blood pressures. A number of mechanisms by which milk and its components could lower blood pressure (BP) have been proposed (Fekete et al .…”

Effect of whey protein on blood pressure in pre‐ and mildly hypertensive adults: A randomized controlled study

“…The effect of whey protein or peptide on blood pressure of participants with abnormal blood pressure was investigated in three trials. In the Fekete study, intact whey protein supplementation for 8 weeks significantly decreased 24‐hr ambulatory SBP and DBP in adults with pre‐ and mild hypertension (Fekete et al, ). Fluegel also found that whey beverage consumption for 6 weeks significantly decreased SBP and DBP in adults with elevated blood pressure (Fluegel et al, ).…”

“…In agreement with our study, Flaim found that whey protein intervention did not affect oxidative damage, inflammation, and glucose levels although fat mass was significantly decreased (Flaim et al, ). However, a trial with pre‐ and mildly hypertensive adults showed that whey protein significantly decreased serum total cholesterol and borderline decreased triacylglycerol (Fekete et al, ). Overall, animal studies and human trials relating to whey protein intervention in the above indexes yielded inconsistent results owing to variation in study designs and observational subjects (Avila et al, ; Ballard et al, ; Claessens et al, ; Da Silva et al, ; Fekete et al, ; Flaim et al, ; Hodgson et al, ; Kjølbæk et al, ; Pal & Ellis, ; Tranberg, Madsen, Hansen, & Hellgren, ; Zhang et al, ).…”

“…The beneficial effect was evidenced in the participants with impaired brachial artery FMD where ingestion of whey‐derived extract significantly increased postprandial FMD measured at 30 and 120 min postingestion (Ballard et al, ). In the Fekete's study, whey protein improved FMD by ameliorating the 24‐hr ambulatory blood pressure with no effect on any inflammatory markers or on plasma nitric oxide and serum ACE activity (Fekete et al, ). However, the association between FMD and blood pressure needs further validation (Liu et al, ).…”