Peptides in dry-cured ham and their health effects
What it found
Peptides made during the curing of dry-cured ham have shown blood-pressure-lowering, antioxidant, blood-sugar and other activities in lab tests, animal studies and some early human trials.
In people, eating dry-cured ham was linked to small blood pressure changes and no rise in new high blood pressure.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood pressure in people
In a study of more than 13,000 Spanish adults followed for 4.5 years, eating dry-cured ham at least 5 times a week (50 g or more each time) was not linked to more new high blood pressure than eating it less than once a week. In two controlled trials, people who ate dry-cured ham for 8 weeks had a drop of about 2 to 3 mmHg in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with a boiled ham group.
Animal and lab studies
Blood pressure in animals
In rats with high blood pressure, a pentapeptide from dry-cured ham (AAATP) lowered systolic pressure by about 25.6 mmHg after 8 hours. The dipeptides AA and AW lowered systolic pressure by about 20 mmHg, but the effect was short-lived because the peptides were broken down quickly.
Antioxidant activity in lab tests
Peptides such as AEEEYPDL and SNAAC showed strong antioxidant activity in lab tests, with SNAAC reaching almost 96% free radical scavenging. In Chinese dry-cured hams, peptides DPLPPGWEIK and APPAAPPASGWPPTR protected human skin cells from UV-induced oxidative stress in cell studies.
Blood sugar and diabetes
Peptides like AAAAG and AAATP inhibited the enzyme DPP-IV in lab tests, which is a target for type 2 diabetes. Other peptides inhibited alpha-glucosidase, and some reduced lipid buildup in fat cells.
Anti-inflammatory effects
In cell and mouse studies, peptide extracts from Xuanwei dry-cured ham reduced inflammatory mediators like nitric oxide, TNF-alpha and IL-6, and in a mouse colitis model they lessened weight loss and colon inflammation. In lab tests, peptides inhibited enzymes involved in inflammation by up to 57%.
Antimicrobial activity
The peptide RHGYM from Spanish dry-cured ham stopped the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in lab tests at a low concentration. Other peptides from Chinese ham also inhibited E. coli O157:H7.
What the authors conclude
“Recent clinical trials with dry-cured ham indicated a slight decrease of ~2–3 mmHg in blood pressure after several weeks of consumption, a clinically relevant result at the population level.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that current evidence suggests dry-cured ham provides molecules with functional potential that could help prevent or mitigate risk factors for chronic diseases.
- They call for additional controlled clinical trials to directly evaluate the impact of dry-cured ham or its isolated peptides on clinical markers such as blood pressure, lipid profile, glycemic control and inflammatory status.
- They note that recent clinical trials showed a slight decrease of about 2 to 3 mmHg in blood pressure after several weeks of consumption, which they call clinically relevant at the population level, and say confirming and expanding these findings is a priority.
How it was done
The authors wanted to pull together what is known about peptides formed in dry-cured ham during curing and their possible use in foods and supplements for health promotion and chronic disease prevention.
They reviewed published studies on peptides from dry-cured ham, including lab tests, animal experiments and human trials. Human evidence included a study of more than 13,000 Spanish adults followed for 4.5 years and controlled trials where people ate dry-cured ham for up to 8 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the findings come from lab tests and animal studies, so they cannot show what happens in people.
- The human studies that followed people over time can show links, not cause and effect.
- The long-term effects of eating dry-cured ham or taking its peptides as a supplement are not yet known from controlled trials.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by This research has been funded by the AROMAIS University Chair in Business with Innovation, Health, and Sports. (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Spain; Purdue University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Bioactivities Derived from Dry-Cured Ham Peptides: A Review
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Hernández Correas N, Liceaga AM, Abellán A, Muñoz-Rosique B, Tejada L (2025). Bioactivities Derived from Dry-Cured Ham Peptides: A Review. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/antiox14081011Free full textPubMed 40867906DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error