According to a 2016 study published in 2016 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming whey protein could noticeably reduce blood pressure. Per the study’s results, compared to individuals with a control condition, participants who ate 28 grams of whey protein twice daily saw their 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressure drop by 3.9 mm Hg and 2.5 mm Hg, respectively. Whey protein also improved participants’ blood vessel function, lowered total cholesterol and triglycerides, and reduced markers of inflammation. The people in this study started with mildly elevated blood pressure.
Still, how whey protein can affect your blood pressure might depend on certain conditions. A 2023 review in Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases combined the results of 18 studies and found that although whey protein can slightly lower systolic blood pressure, it may not always lower diastolic blood pressure. When the researchers broke down some of the results, they found that whey protein is more likely to reduce diastolic blood pressure in people whose blood pressure is already high and who have a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30.