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Protein from peas may fight high blood pressure and kidney disease
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A study presented at the American Chemical Society 237th annual meeting on March 22, 2009, reports that a mixture made from proteins found in yellow garden peas could help fight chronic kidney disease. According to the Arizona Kidney Foundation in Phoenix, this disease affects an estimated 13 percent of adults in the United States, or about 26 million people.
The pea protein study
The researchers digested pea proteins with food-grade enzymes, and this mixture was processed to isolate a compound that contained sall bioactive peptides (molecules that contain two or more amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins).
The mixture was given with feed to a group of rats that had chronic kidney disease, while another group of rats received regular feed without the mixture. The treated rats had substantially lowered blood pressure in rats. This is a significant finding because most people who have chronic kidney disease die from cardiovascular complications that are the result of high blood pressure associated with poor kidney function. Therefore, the pea protein mixture may be able to reduce the death rate among people with chronic kidney disease by lowering their blood pressure.
The pea mixture also substantially increased urine production in the treated rats when compared with rats that did not consume the mixture. Again, this is an important finding, because urine production is reduced in chronic kidney disease. This lower urine production can lead to death caused by an accumulation of toxins in the body.
Finally, the pea protein mixture substantially increased the amount of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) in the rats’ kidneys. It is widely believed that COX-1 enhances the normal functioning of kidneys, especially those that are diseased.
Importance of the study
The researchers believe their work represents the first time a natural product has been found to relieve the symptoms of chronic kidney disease and the associated hypertension. The resulting product could significantly reduce complications and death rates among people who have chronic kidney disease.
Further studies are planned, and if the results are promising, the researchers believe the extract could be ready for consumers within two to three years in the form of a supplement or as a powder that could be added to foods and beverages.
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