Emmi launched the product in Portugal earlier in February of this year, at the same time as Kaiku launched it in Spain. The first drink claiming a blood pressure lowering effect to launch in Europe, Evolus first hit the Finnish market in 2000. In 2003, Valio signed a licensing deal for Iceland, but the drink has not proved as popular in that market as its probiotic products. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can lead to problems for the cardiovascular system. About two thirds of strokes and half the incidence of heart disease are attributable to raised blood pressure, according to the World Health Organisation. Globally, high blood pressure is estimated to cause 7.1 million deaths, about 13 per cent of the total and about 4.4 per cent of the total chronic disease burden. The condition is a promising target for functional food makers, and the Evolus launch may be timely in Switzerland, where it affects 44 percent of the adult population. The bioactive peptides in Evolus are produced by fermenting milk casein with certain lactic acid bacteria, widely used in cheesemaking, which splits casein to the ile-pro-pro and val-pro-pro tripeptides. These tripeptides are responsible for reducing blood pressure, demonstrated in three experimental studies and four clinical studies, according to Valio. External links to companies or organisations mentioned in thisstory: Emmi Valio
