Eggs May Lower Blood Pressure???

Canadian researchers have come to the rescue of the egg, whose reputation as a health food has been under attack ever since cholesterol was discovered. Recognizing that eggs contain proteins that can be bioactive, the Edmonton Scientists, who published their work in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, examined the effects of different cooking methods on the production of these peptides.

Previous scientific reports have hinted that certain egg proteins may have effects similar to angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which are widely used to treat high blood pressure. Boiled and fried eggs (whole, whites, and yolks) were digested by gastrointestinal enzymes in conditions simulating those in the gut. The resultant liquids were tested for ACE-inhibitor activity in the lab.

The whole fried egg liquid had the most potent ACE-inhibitor effect, and was analyzed further; seven relevant peptides were identified. It will take studies in humans to establish if these proteins do, in fact, lower raised blood pressure. But if they do, fried eggs will have been rehabilitated as a health food. Don’t hold your breath, though . . .