Pasta is a great dish because of it's popularity, versatility, and ease to make. Certain pastas offer health benefits as well, such as whole wheat pasta. It contains glutamic acid, a vegetable protein that has been linked to help lower blood pressure! In a recent study, it was found that the more glutamic acid people got in their diets, the better their blood pressure was. The effect occurred in both men and women but was strongest in women. You also can get glutamic acid from other food sources such as rice, beans, and soy products like tofu.