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Egg whites could lower blood pressure in the same way as medication, new research has found.
A key component found in the whites was found to have the same blood pressure lowering properties as Captopril, a high blood-pressure drug.
Dr Zhipeng Yu, who led the research at China’s Jilin University, said: ‘Our research suggests that there may be another reason to call it ‘the incredible, edible egg’.
‘We have evidence from the laboratory that a substance in egg white – it’s a peptide, one of the building blocks of proteins – reduces blood pressure about as much as a low dose of Captopril, a high-blood-pressure drug.’
Dr Yu and his colleagues studied a peptide found in egg white called RVPSL.
This has a powerful ability to inhibit or block the action of ACE, a substance produced in the body that raises blood pressure.
Experiments with rats showed RVPSL had no toxic effects and lowered the blood pressure.
The findings were presented to the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in New Orleans.
