How Food-Derived Peptides Lower Blood Pressure by Targeting the Renin-Angiotensin System | Research

The takeaway

Food protein-derived peptides can lower blood pressure through multiple points in the renin-angiotensin system, including ACE inhibition, renin inhibition, AT1R blockade, and the newer ACE2/Ang(1-7)/MasR pathway.

4 RAS targets
Food peptides can inhibit ACE, block renin, antagonize AT1R, and activate the protective ACE2 axis

What the researchers found

Food-derived antihypertensive peptides target at least four key points in the renin-angiotensin system: ACE inhibition (most studied), renin inhibition, AT1 receptor blockade/downregulation, and ACE2 activation — offering multi-target blood pressure management potential.

Why it matters

Hypertension affects over a billion people worldwide. Food-derived peptides could offer a safer, more natural complement or alternative to pharmaceutical blood pressure drugs, with fewer side effects and the potential for multi-target activity.

The numbers in context

Review covers the full renin-angiotensin system pathway and emerging AI methods for peptide identification from food proteins.

How the study worked

Narrative review summarizing research on food protein-derived antihypertensive peptides, organized by their mechanisms of action within the renin-angiotensin system.

Who was studied

Review of food protein-derived antihypertensive peptide research

What this study cannot tell us

Narrative review without systematic methodology. Most antihypertensive peptides tested only in vitro or animal models. Bioavailability and clinical efficacy in humans remain largely unproven. Regulatory pathway for food-derived peptide health claims is unclear.

How to read the evidence

Low evidence — narrative review of mostly in vitro and animal studies. Clinical validation in humans is limited.

When this study was published

Published in 2024, incorporating recent advances including AI-assisted peptide identification and the ACE2 pathway.

The bigger picture

The discovery that food peptides can modulate the protective ACE2/Ang(1-7)/MasR axis — not just inhibit ACE — opens new therapeutic possibilities. Combined with AI-driven peptide discovery, this field is moving toward precision nutraceuticals for cardiovascular health.

Questions still open

Can food-derived peptides that activate the ACE2/Ang(1-7)/MasR axis provide cardiovascular protection beyond blood pressure reduction?
How effective are AI-identified antihypertensive peptides compared to those found through traditional screening?
Could combining food peptides targeting different RAS points produce synergistic blood pressure effects?

Common questions

Can eating certain foods really lower blood pressure?

Certain food proteins, particularly from milk, fish, and soy, release peptides during digestion that can inhibit enzymes involved in blood pressure regulation. The effects are generally milder than drugs, but ongoing research aims to develop concentrated peptide supplements with meaningful clinical benefits.

What is the ACE2 pathway and why does it matter for blood pressure?

ACE2 converts angiotensin II (which raises blood pressure) into angiotensin 1-7 (which lowers it). Food peptides that activate ACE2 could provide a dual benefit: reducing the blood pressure-raising pathway while boosting the blood pressure-lowering one.

Read the original research

Research Progress of Food-Derived Antihypertensive Peptides in Regulating the Key Factors of the Renin-Angiotensin System.

Nutrients, 17(1)

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Yao, Xinyu; Cao, Xinyi; Chen, Liang; Liao, Wang. (2024). Research Progress of Food-Derived Antihypertensive Peptides in Regulating the Key Factors of the Renin-Angiotensin System.. Nutrients, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17010097