Protein Powders Tested for Blood Pressure

Protein powder supplements may slightly lower blood pressure, a study suggests. The study included 352 young adults. Some had early-stage high blood pressure. Others had pre-hypertension. This is blood pressure that is above normal, but too low for a diagnosis of high blood pressure. People in the study received 3 types of powdered food supplements. They were made of soy protein, milk protein or carbohydrates. Each person received one supplement at a time, for 8 weeks. There was a 3-week “wash-out” period with no supplements before each person switched to a different one. Blood pressure dropped about 2 points after people took either of the protein powders. It did not change with the carbohydrate powder. The study leader acknowledged that the drop in blood pressure was small. But he said it could have an impact on the overall population.