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Interventions and public health nutrition

Effects of long-term intake of lactotripeptides on cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive subjects

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 66, pages 843–849 (2012)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives:

Lactobacillus helveticus LBK-16H-fermented milk products containing tripeptides isoleucine-proline-proline and valine-proline-proline lower blood pressure in hypertensive subjects using office and home blood pressure registration. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of two doses of these lactotripeptides on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure and lipidomics profiles in mildly hypertensive subjects.

Subjects/methods:

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study, 89 mildly hypertensive subjects ingested, after a 1-month run-in period, a fermented milk drink with 5 mg per day of lactotripeptides during 3 months, and a milk drink with 50 mg per day of lactotripeptides for the following 3 months, or a placebo milk drink without lactotripeptides. Ambulatory blood pressure (24 h) was recorded at baseline and at the end of the intervention periods. Lipidomics profiles were characterized before and after the 6-month intervention.

Results:

After the second intervention period (50 mg per day of lactotripeptides), systolic and diastolic 24-h blood pressures decreased significantly in the peptide, but not in the placebo group. However, the treatment effects −2.6 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (CI): −5.7 to 0.4) in systolic and −1.3 mm Hg (95% CI: −3.4 to 0.8) in diastolic blood pressure did not reach statistic significance. Ingestion of 5 mg per day of lactotripeptides for 3 months did not lower blood pressure. The peptide group was dominated by decrease in multiple phospholipids (PL).

Conclusions:

Ingestion of fermented milk with daily dose of 50 mg of lactotripeptides appears to lower elevated blood pressure slightly from the baseline, but not significantly compared with the placebo group and to induce significant decreases in multiple PL.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Tuulikki Seppänen-Laakso for skillful assistance with the lipidomic analysis, Anu Turpeinen, PhD, for her skilled help with the manuscript, Kimmo Kontula, MD, Professor, for valuable discussions on blood pressure evaluations, and Aino Siltari for her technical assistance in typing the manuscript. The test products were provided by Valio Ltd, Finland. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    T Jauhiainen, H Vapaatalo & R Korpela

  2. Valio Ltd, Research and Development, Helsinki, Finland

    T Jauhiainen

  3. Nutritionist Leena Niittynen, Vihti, Finland

    L Niittynen

  4. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland

    M Orešič

  5. Medcare Foundation, Äänekoski, Finland

    S Järvenpää

  6. Department of Medicine and Research Program for Molecular Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    T P Hiltunen

  7. Doctagon Ltd, Helsinki, Finland

    M Rönnback

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Correspondence to R Korpela.

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Competing interests

TJ is and RK was an employee of Valio Ltd. HV was consulting for Valio Ltd, and at present Santen Ltd and MSD Finland Ltd, Finland. Valio Ltd compensed LN and SJ for their working time.

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Jauhiainen, T., Niittynen, L., Orešič, M. et al. Effects of long-term intake of lactotripeptides on cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr 66, 843–849 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.44

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