Probiotic Administration Increases Amino Acid Absorption from Plant Protein: a Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Crossover Study

Abstract

The fate of dietary protein in the gut is determined by microbial and host digestion and utilization. Fermentation of proteins generates bioactive molecules that have wide-ranging health effects on the host. The type of protein can affect amino acid absorption, with animal proteins generally being more efficiently absorbed compared with plant proteins. In contrast to animal proteins, most plant proteins, such as pea protein, are incomplete proteins. Pea protein is low in methionine and contains lower amounts of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which play a crucial role in muscle health. We hypothesized that probiotic supplementation results in favorable changes in the gut microbiota, aiding the absorption of amino acids from plant proteins by the host. Fifteen physically active men (24.2 ± 5.0 years; 85.3 ± 12.9 kg; 178.0 ± 7.6 cm; 16.7 ± 5.8% body fat) co-ingested 20 g of pea protein with either AminoAlta™, a multi-strain probiotic (5 billion CFU L. paracasei LP-DG® (CNCM I-1572) plus 5 billion CFU L. paracasei LPC-S01 (DSM 26760), SOFAR S.p.A., Italy) or a placebo for 2 weeks in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design, separated by a 4-week washout period. Blood samples were taken at baseline and at 30-, 60-, 120-, and 180-min post-ingestion and analyzed for amino acid content. Probiotic administration significantly increased methionine, histidine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine, total BCAA, and total EAA maximum concentrations (Cmax) and AUC without significantly changing the time to reach maximum concentrations. Probiotic supplementation can be an important nutritional strategy to improve post-prandial changes in blood amino acids and to overcome compositional shortcomings of plant proteins. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: ISRCTN38903788

The Environmental Impact of the Athlete’s Plate Nutrition Education Tool

“…They showed that nuts, beans, insects, fish or protein powders (from pea, soy or whey) provided the highest efficiency with the least EnvI, while beef, cheese, and some processed refined grains (such as rice or egg pasta) were the least efficient and had the highest EnvI. However, the list of products and serving sizes analyzed in the current study was not extensive enough (due to the lack of availability of some data) and we did not analyze the combination of different protein sources (animal with plant-based combinations) or culinary techniques that could complement or increase amino acid availability of plant-based sources [ 88 , 89 , 90 ]. In athletes, only limited research has integrated DIAAS of plant-based diets.…”

Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 improves amino acid absorption from milk protein

“…Probiotics can also limit pathogen adhesion to host tissue, and modulate the production of different metabolites such as vitamins, short-chain fatty acids, and molecules that act as neurotransmitters involved in gut-brain communication [4]. Beyond benefiting physiological systems, probiotics have been shown to impact the absorption and production of key nutrients, including minerals, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, and various forms of digestive enzymes [5][6][7].…”

Recent advances in clinical probiotic research for sport

“…Therefore, there is an interest in nutritional strategies to raise the blood amino acid concentrations after ingesting a plant protein source to overcome compositional shortcomings. To assess the amino acid concentration in the blood after the administration of a plant protein with or without coadministration of a probiotic supplement (5 × 10 9 CFU Lactobacillus paracasei LP-DG and 5 × 10 9 L. paracasei LPC-S01) a randomized, double-blind, crossover pilot study was performed in physically active males [ 20 ▪▪ ]. Probiotic administration significantly increased methionine (+16.3%), histidine (+49.2%), valine (+24.7%), leucine (+25.2%), isoleucine (+26.1%), tyrosine (+11.6%), total BCAA (+26.8%), and total essential amino acid (+15.6%) maximum concentrations and area under the curve (Fig.…”