Preliminary Survey of Effect of Kamaboko on Blood Pressure and Serum Lipid Level in Healthy Volunteers

Kamaboko (mushi-kamaboko, a fish paste product) is a traditional Japanese processed food with features such as high protein and low fat content. We know that hydrolysis of fish (sardine) muscle by pepsin yields angiotensin-1converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptides. We investigated whether steamed kamaboko has the same effect. Before detailed investigation, a preliminary examination was carried out into the effect of kamaboko on serum lipid levels and blood pressure in healthy volunteers. Three healthy volunteers each ate 160 g/day of kamaboko for a period of seven days. The average intake of kamaboko is about 10 g/day in Japan. The serum angiotensin-1 level of the subjects showed an increasing tendency, rising from 530±36.1 (mean±SD) pg/ml to 940±221.1pg/ml over the seven days, but after two weeks had decreased again to 490±79.4 pg/ml. However, 7-day administration of kamaboko did not change the aldosterone levels or serum lipid levels beyond the normal ranges. We assume that the reason for the changes in the serum angiotensin-1 level was intake of the salt in kamaboko. The influence on blood pressure is therefore a concern in long-term intake of kamaboko.