Anti-hypertensive Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods

Abstract

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that elevated blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). A close association between blood pressure and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases is well established if systolic/diastolic blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg. In recent years, nutraceuticals and functional foods have attracted considerable interest as potential alternative therapies for treatment of hypertension, especially for prehypertensive patients, whose blood pressure is marginally or mildly high but not high enough to warrant the prescription of blood pressure-lowering medications. This review summarizes the findings of recent studies on the chemistry, production, application, efficacy, and mechanisms of popular blood pressure-lowering nutraceuticals and functional foods including the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet plan, L-arginine, chlorogenic acid, fermented milk, garlic, onion, tea, soybean, ginger, hawthorn, and fish oil.

Are Nutraceuticals Effective in Controlling Essential Hypertension?

“…L-arginine is an amino acid that was shown to cause a reduction in blood pressure in experimental animals and clinical studies following oral or intravenous administration. L-arginine reduces blood pressure by enhancing the production of Nitric Oxide (NO) which in turn yields to endothelium smooth muscle relaxation [5].…”

The role of nutrition and nutraceutical supplements in the treatment of hypertension

“…Cocoa may also improve insulin resistance and endothelial function [276,279,281] . Polyphenols, chlorogenic acids (CGAs), the ferulic acid metabolite of CGAs and di-hydro-caffeic acids decrease BP in a dose dependent manner, increase eNOS and improve endothelial function in humans [284][285][286] . CGAs in green coffee been extract at doses of 140 mg/d significantly reduced SBP and DBP in 28 subjects in a placebocontrolled randomized clinical trial.…”

Antihypertensive and antiatherogenic effects of Tanopati a traditional recipe used for the treatment of high blood pressure

“…However, attempts by the low-income group, particularly the rural dwellers in the developing countries, to control hypertension and its attendant complications in the face of the scarce socioeconomic resources, have led more people opting for herbal remedy. 2 Identification of antihypertensive foods and herbal remedies is currently interested because they are expected to prevent hypertension with lower side-effects than antihypertensive drugs. 3 But, these drugs have various side effects that could lead to the malfunctioning of the body function e.g.…”