There are so many reasons to eat asparagus. They are a great source of antioxidants like beta-carotene, vitamin E and vitamin C. Antioxidants help reduce the damage of free radicals, which are known to cause disease. Asparagus are also rich in B-vitamins, and anti-inflammatory compounds like asparanin A, sarsasapogenin, protodioscin, and diosgenin.
Asparagus are heart-healthy and promoting good bacteria in the digestive system.
Now, new research shows that asparagus help fight high blood pressure.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are usually prescribed to lower blood pressure. They block an enzyme, which creates a substance that narrows blood vessels. So ACE inhibitors help blood vessels relax and widen and allows blood to flow easier, in turn lowering blood pressure.
“The problem with ACE inhibitors is their potential for serious side effects, which includes sudden kidney failure that’s fatal in 30 percent of those affected,” says Dr. Joseph Mercola, a leading health expert and physician. “Increased potassium levels, which may lead to serious heart problems, can also occur, as can decrease in sexual function, dizziness, headache, fatigue, liver damage, and depression,” he adds.
The researchers uncovered a new natural ACE inhibitor in asparagus, and have found that it may lower blood pressure without the side effects. The new ACE inhibitor revealed in the study is called asparaptine.
Prior research from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has also showed that mice that were fed a 5 percent asparagus had a significant drop in blood pressure compared to mice that weren’t fed asparagus.
The study showing that asparagus helps fight high blood pressure was published in the Journal of Natural Products.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Top-down Targeted Metabolomics Reveals a Sulfur-Containing Metabolite with Inhibitory Activity against Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in Asparagus Officinalis.” Journal of Natural Products. Journal of Natural Products, 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 20 July 2015.
2. “Asparagus Benefits: Can It Help Fight High Blood Pressure?” Mercola.com. Mercola.com, 20 July 2015. Web. 20 July 2015.
3. “Green Asparagus (Asparagus Officinalis) Prevented Hypertension by an Inhibitory Effect on Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Activity in the Kidney of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 12 June 2013. Web. 20 July 2015.
