Plant Protein Supplementation Within a Healthy Lifestyle Modulates Plasma Circulating Amino Acids and Improves the Health Status of Overweight Individuals

Plant Protein Supplementation Within a Healthy Lifestyle Modulates Plasma Circulating Amino Acids and Improves the Health Status of Overweight Individuals

A dietary pattern based on Mediterranean diet has been reported as healthy for humans, as well as doing aerobic exercise regularly, diminishing the development of potential inflammation in subjects. Protein intake has been proposed as nutritional strategy to further improve these positives outcomes in terms of preventing inflammation diseases. In this work, overweight patients followed a Mediterranean diet together with aerobic exercise according to WHO-guidelines and were supplemented with 20 g of hemp protein/day, for twelve weeks.

Anthropometric and biochemical measures (including analysis of oligoelements), as well as plasma circulating amino acids were evaluated in each patient at the end of the intervention, to assess whether biologically relevant changes could be observed.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age between 18 and 65 years old
• waist circumference ≥94cm in men and ≥88cm in women
• MET<4

Exclusion Criteria:

• prediabetic patients on pharmacotherapy
• subjects suffering from medical issues (e.g., diabetes or another chronic disease)
• smokers
• pregnant or lactating women.