Soy protein: the next antihypertensive agent?

Background: The prevalence of hypertension continues to increase dramatically in developing countries. Worldwide, an estimated 1 billion individuals are hypertensive; there is therefore great interest in identifying the lifestyle factors (e.g., weight and salt and alcohol intake) that affect blood pressure. Dietary potassium supplementation, for example, has been shown to reduce blood pressure in patients with either high-normal pressure or hypertension. Observational studies have shown that dietary vegetable (but not animal) protein is associated with lower blood pressures; but until now, the results of randomized trials have been inconclusive.