Efeitos da ingestão de micoproteínas por seres humanos comparado a outras fontes de proteína

Abstract

Mycoprotein is a source of protein derived from fungi, which contains all essential amino acids and is rich in fiber, which can be consumed as an alternative source. Although there is much evidence on the importance of animal-derived proteins, growing concerns related to: sustainability, due to the environmental impact caused by livestock and health issues related to its high consumption, have led to the search for alternatives to these animal source proteins. Recent clinical trials sought to elucidate the effects of consuming this source of fungal protein. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of mycoprotein intake in relation to other protein sources in humans. For this, a search was carried out for indexed publications in the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases, using the term “Mycoprotein” as a keyword. Clinical trials, randomized or not, that reported outcomes in glucose, insulin, cholesterol, muscle protein synthesis and intestinal microbiota were selected. The results showed a significant reduction in cholesterol levels. Beneficial changes in the intestinal microbiota were also observed after intervention containing mycoproteins. For glucose, insulin and muscle protein synthesis levels the results were similar to animal source proteins. However, the evidence comes from a limited number of heterogeneous studies. Larger and longer studies are needed to elucidate the long-term and short-term benefits.