British scientists at King's College, London appear to have found a new way to regulate hypertension which involves oxidation. Oxidation in the past has generally been regarded as harmful rather than good, but researchers now acknowledge that it is central to normal cell function.
Important for all tissues, the enzyme protein kinase G or PKG is particularly functional in the cardiovascular system where it plays a fundamental role along with nitric oxide in blood pressure regulation. What the researchers discovered was a way in which PKG can be regulated independently of nitric oxide which may open up new approaches to manage hypertension. Metabolic oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide can elicit bonding between two amino acids which activates PKG, which in turn, leads to lowering of blood pressure.
The research is published in the journal Science .
Active oxidant/anti-oxidant species are generated during normal metabolism. Fruits and vegetables have been shown to contain high levels of these compounds , which provide protection against harmful free radicals and have been suggested to lower the incidence and mortality rates of cancer and heart disease in addition to a number of other health benefits. Fruits and vegetables have repeatedly shown to be extraordinarily effective in reducing hypertension and have been considered critical in reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease .
Perhaps the latest research will clarify why.
