Foods Rich in Peptides

There are two main groups of foods with a high peptide content, milk protein and wheat; milk, for example, in addition to its many functions, can help you fall asleep thanks to its opioid peptides, a substance also present in morphine; the problem is that, when consumed at many meals throughout the day, it makes the person who ingests it feel tired and sluggish.

Peptides are a component of a protein made up of two or more amino acids linked in a chain and encoded within the protein molecule; most dietary peptides remain inactive while contained within a sequence inside their respective parent proteins and are only activated when digested by the appropriate enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract or through food processing or fermentation.

Many of the health properties of peptides associated with proteins include nutrient absorption, cardiovascular protection, strengthening of the endocrine and immune systems, and regulation of the nervous system, and they are present in some natural foods and many of the novel supplements we know today; the natural sources are milk, eggs, cereals, wheat and soy, considered the foods rich in peptides par excellence.

Milk peptides

After consuming a dairy product, the enzymes break down the milk proteins in the digestive tract into opioid peptides. These peptides have an addictive component and, as a result, they make us crave more of the opioid peptide; therefore, this can make us overeat or feel like consuming more food to help stop the appetite.

However, the richest sources of peptides, such as milk casein alone and whey, work as therapeutic agents, acting as powerful antimicrobial and antithrombotic actives, with immunomodulatory effects, and by loading the body with minerals, being effective not only for the absorption of proteins across their full range of properties, but also for protecting the digestive and cardiovascular systems, controlling hypertension, for example in the case of matured yoghurt or fermented dairy products.

Peptides and grains

Grains such as
corn, rice and wheat contain peptides; research has found that they have various functions, such as avoiding problems with mental health, or antifungal properties, which are an important plant defence when it comes to protecting the body from toxins, especially in corn or rice.

Eggs and their peptide

After milk, eggs are one of the richest dietary sources of peptides; in a study published in 2011 in the journal of the North American Menopause Society, a peptide contained in egg yolk called water-soluble peptide, or YPEP, was shown to have a protective effect on bone metabolism, leading researchers to consider YPEP as a promising alternative to current osteoporosis therapies.

Soy and its multipeptides

Soy, like other grains and seeds, also contains peptides; numerous recent studies have identified various peptides in soy and their specific health benefits, such as a 2009 study published in the journal “Experimental & Molecular Medicine”, which confirmed that it can prevent cancer, thanks above all to the soy isoflavone peptides, which show more powers in the body than previously known.