Yeast protein is a safe and high-quality protein that can serve as an ideal source of protein. Compared to animal and plant proteins, the abundant essential and branched-chain amino acids in yeast protein can effectively improve muscle aging. The slow digestion characteristic of yeast protein provides an ideal choice for protein supplementation for special populations such as athletes, those with liver or kidney dysfunction, and amino acid metabolism disorders. In addition, the environmentally friendly and sustainable advantages of yeast protein make it the best choice for alternative protein.

Muscles account for about 40% of body weight and are important for stability and flexibility. Muscle mass begins to decline at the age of 30 and increases with age. The characteristic of muscle aging is the decrease in muscle mass and function, regulated by the balance between muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. Although there is strong evidence for the role of protein in maintaining good muscle health in older adults, the source of protein has an important impact. Whey protein is more effective in promoting muscle protein synthesis than casein or soy isolate. Essential amino acids (EAAs) stimulate muscle protein synthesis more than non-essential amino acids. Protein balance is positively correlated with extracellular EAA levels, so a high EAA-containing protein diet will provide greater overall stimulation to muscle protein balance. Additionally, the most effective protein source for promoting muscle protein synthesis contains a large amount of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine, isoleucine, and valine. As age increases, the extraction of amino acids by the viscera increases, with a high extraction rate of up to 90% for individual amino acids, greatly reducing the availability of free amino acids for muscle protein synthesis. The uniqueness of BCAAs lies in their ability to escape visceral uptake and have the greatest opportunity to interact with surrounding tissues, enabling them to effectively regulate skeletal muscle tissue structure and function. Therefore, compared with proteins with high content of these amino acids, proteins with lower EAA content, especially lower BCAA content, are absorbed by visceral tissues with higher efficiency and cannot be effectively used for muscle protein synthesis. Yeast protein contains abundant essential amino acids, with a much higher content of branched-chain amino acids than soy protein and a slightly higher total content than whey protein. Therefore, yeast protein has a high application advantage in elderly nutrition. Our double-blind and randomized controlled trial studied the effects of yeast protein compared with whey protein and placebo on adult muscle mass and performance. The results showed that the lean mass and muscle strength increased significantly in the yeast protein group and whey protein group compared with the placebo group, and the performance of yeast protein was similar to that of whey protein, indicating that yeast protein is as effective as whey protein and can increase muscle mass and strength in the elderly during exercise.

Yeast protein, as a slow-digesting protein, is very important for promoting muscle growth and repair in exercise. Over time, slow protein provides a stable flow of amino acids, preventing muscle tissue breakdown. Although slow protein cannot quickly increase amino acid content, it can significantly slow down the rate of protein breakdown, protecting existing muscles. Taking a mixed protein containing multiple digestion rates can shorten muscle protein synthesis time and benefit muscle recovery. In addition, slow-digesting protein can provide a longer feeling of fullness after training, reduce hunger and eating frequency, and help control weight and fat.

Slow-digesting protein can prevent certain organs and/or enzymes from metabolic overload. After consuming a diet containing various nitrogen-containing compounds (proteins, peptides, amino acids), the liver attempts to maintain amino acid concentrations within physiological limits by breaking down a portion of the dietary amino acids. Moderate levels of dietary amino acids can reduce excessive activity of organs presenting symptoms and thus avoid overworking them. Patients with renal abnormalities need strict control of protein intake and typically require a low-protein diet to reduce the production of nitrogenous waste, while consuming slow-digesting protein can reduce the nitrogenous waste that should be excreted by the kidneys in patients with renal abnormalities.

In amino acid metabolism disorders and other diseases, such as phenylketonuria and ketonuria, tyrosinemia, histidinemia, cystinuria, and branched-chain amino acid-related amino acid disorders, the accumulation of these amino acids and their degradation products can cause neurological and clinical syndromes. The dietary composition of amino acids that do not contain or contain very small amounts of the amino acids involved in the disease can avoid this accumulation. Specific products developed for these populations contain either free amino acids or highly hydrolyzed proteins. However, these mixtures are not pleasant-tasting, and to avoid diarrhea caused by high product permeability, consumers should consume these products in small amounts as part of their diet. Yeast protein has a slow digestion rate and a small amount of amino acids involved in it, which improves the taste of the diet and thus increases its tolerance, limits the risk of diarrhea, avoids fluctuations in plasma amino acids, and increases postprandial protein acquisition.

With the continuous growth of global demand for protein, plants, insects, fungi, and algae are widely recognized for their high protein content. Among these different alternative proteins, plant protein is more easily accepted by consumers. However, the use of plant protein increases agricultural and environmental pressures, and the low essential amino acid content and the presence of anti-nutritional factors (phytates, tannins, alkaloids, etc.) greatly limit the application of plant protein. Yeast protein from microbial sources can overcome these adverse effects and become a new source of protein supplements. More importantly, compared to animal and plant protein, yeast protein as an alternative protein has the characteristics of low allergenicity (almost no allergens), sustainability, cleanliness, and economy. Nowadays, yeast protein is used as a protein supplement in baked goods, cookies, snacks, and special foods. In addition, due to its flavor characteristics (high glutamate content), coloring properties, and water retention, they have been positively evaluated as a protein source for meat products. Yeast protein can also be used in protein dairy products for lactose intolerance and soy allergy populations, which will be highly appreciated by vegetarians. Global livestock carbon emissions account for about 15% of human activity greenhouse gas emissions, while the carbon emissions of the entire grain system account for more than 30%, almost equal to the total greenhouse gas emissions of all vehicles, airplanes, and rockets. In addition, the production of animal protein and plant protein requires a lot of arable land and water resources. The water consumption and arable land area required for yeast protein production，by the contrast，are significantly reduced, and the carbon emissions are only one-twentieth of beef production, which is of great environmental significance and truly helps to solve major environmental problems.

Reference

[1] Tipton KD, Gurkin BE, Matin S, Wolfe RR. Nonessential amino acids are not necessary to stimulate net muscle protein synthesis in healthy volunteers. J Nutr Biochem 1999, 10:89-95.

[2] Wahren J, Felig P, Hagenfeldt L. Effect of protein ingestion on splanchnic and leg metabolism in normal man and in patients with diabetes mellitus. J Clin Invest 1976, 57:987-999.

[3] Jach Monika Elżbieta et al. Yeast Protein as an Easily Accessible Food Source[J]. Metabolites, 2022, 12(1) : 63-63.

[4] Ma JR, Sun YF, Meng DM et al. Yeast proteins: The novel and sustainable alternative protein in food applications[J]. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2023, 135: 190-201.

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