FINLAND – Scientists have reported that milk fermented by Lactobacillus helveticus help to can lower blood pressure.

The research, carried out at the Valio Research Center in Finland and the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Helsinki, was a randomised placebo-controlled study involving 39 hypertensive patients. Those given the fermented milk over a 21 week period showed a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

The researchers believe that peptides derived from milk proteins can have anithypertensive effects by inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme. This plays a role in the regulation in hypertensions, and so may be used as an antihypertensive component.