Food-derived peptides with antihypertensive properties have received great interest during the past 30 years. There is solid evidence of the effect of various peptide sequences in clinical trials, but their use in preventive or therapeutic treatments is not extensive. There are certain issues, such as the bioavailability or the mechanism of action, that would need to be clarified to establish a direct cause/effect relationship between the administered molecule and the observed effect. This perspective emphasizes the advances in the study of antihypertensive peptides and proposes future research topics that might encourage industry and health policy to exploit these food constituents.
Keywords: antihypertensive activity; bioavailability; food-derived peptides; mechanism of action.