The study found that mycoprotein reduced hunger in the 55 volunteers tested, researcher Professor Gary Frost, faculty of medicine, Imperial College, London told FoodNavigator.
The protein – the main fungi-derived substance found in meat substitute Quorn – also improved blood sugar management, the researchers wrote in the British Journal of Nutrition.
The study was partly funded by Quorn owner, Marlow Foods, through a no string educational grant.
“If you took the results from our study and if they remain the same when applied to a bigger population then it would be an important contributor in preventing obesity,” Frost said.
“Firstly we would help people regulate appetite (…) so there wouldn’t be the same degree of weight gain as there is at the moment, secondly if it has an effect on blood glucose control we could potentially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.”
The research follows previous studies in lean individuals which show mycoprotein reduces post-meal glucose and insulin concentrations as well as energy intake in a subsequent meal. The results demonstrate the trend for the first time in overweight and obese individuals, the researchers wrote.
Study results
The scientists looked at the effects of low, medium and high doses of mycoprotein on energy intake and glucose balance in overweight or obese (yet healthy) adults. The results were compared with those of chicken meals with equal calorific and protein content in healthy adults.
Energy intake (calories consumed) was assessed after three hours with the subjects given a subsequent meal “served in excess” and asked to eat until they were comfortably full.
Overall, mycoprotein significantly decreased the amount subjects ate during the subsequent meal when compared with those who ate chicken.
“Post-tests showed that energy intake following the high-mycoprotein meal was 10 % (280 kJ/ 67 kcal) lower than following the chicken test meal,” the researchers – led by Dr. Jeanne Bottin, also of Imperial College – wrote.
There was also a significant effect on energy intake at 24 hours, with mean energy intake of the mycoprotein group reduced by 787 kJ (188 kcal) (9 %) in comparison to those who had eaten chicken.
Analogue scales and blood samples were also collected to measure glucose, insulin, peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).
“At the high-protein content, mycoprotein significantly reduced insulin concentrations compared with chicken by 41% at 15 minutes, 27% at 30 minutes, 20% at 45 minutes, 21% at 60 minutes and 26% at 90 minutes,” the study notes.
Similarly, differences were seen in the medium level of protein-content in the test meal with mycoprotein subjects showing a 22% bigger insulin reduction than chicken at 15 minutes, 12% at 30 minutes and 45 minutes, 13% at 60 minutes and 24% at 90 minutes.
There was no significant effect of the protein content on insulin concentrations at other time points.
Mechanism uncertainty
However, the team were unable to find a clear mechanism behind mycoprotein’s effects.
“No significant effect of the protein type was observed on GLP-1 and PYY concentrations,” the team noted.
“Everything we looked at, such as appetite regulating hormones that are released from your gut, don’t seem to change much,” Frost said.
“There’s some interesting observations that (…) after the food has been digested some of the metabolites in the blood are different in the Quorn-fed people and it’s possible they may play a role.”
The authors stress the importance of longer-term studies to investigate the potential of mycoprotein in the prevention of obesity and diabetes, however, Frost said no such research is planned at this time.
“We’re looking at trying to do that,” he added.
Source: British Journal of Nutrition
Volume 116, Pages 360–374, doi: 10.1017/S0007114516001872
“Mycoprotein reduces energy intake and postprandial insulin release without altering glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide tyrosine-tyrosine concentrations in healthy overweight and obese adults: a randomised-controlled trial”
Authors: Jeanne H. Bottin, et al