Health relevance of antihypertensive peptides in foods

Food-derived bioactive peptides are promising components for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases including hypertension. Recently, there has been an increased knowledge about the variety of complex and interrelated mechanisms for blood pressure regulation as well as the potential targets for peptides to exert their antihypertensive effects. Empiric and bioinformatics studies have provided large amounts of data regarding characteristics, structure-activity relationships and bioavailability of antihypertensive peptides through the use of in vitro assays, cell cultures, and animal studies. However, the scarce number of robust clinical trials to prove their efficacy in humans is the main reason of the limited use of antihypertensive peptides as functional foods for promoting health. Further research is needed to overcome the challenges for the application of food-derived antihypertensive peptides as functional ingredients with health benefits in the human body.