The effect of mycoprotein intake on biomarkers of human health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Maria Shahid; Allison Gaines; Daisy Coyle; Roberta Alessandrini; Tim Finnigan; Gary Frost; Matti Marklund; Bruce Neal

doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.03.019

The effect of mycoprotein intake on biomarkers of human health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Am J Clin Nutr. 2023 Jul;118(1):141-150. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.03.019. Epub 2023 Jun 5.

Authors

Maria Shahid¹, Allison Gaines², Daisy Coyle³, Roberta Alessandrini⁴, Tim Finnigan⁵, Gary Frost⁶, Matti Marklund⁷, Bruce Neal²

Affiliations

¹ The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: mshahid@georgeinstitute.org.au.
² The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
³ The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
⁴ Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
⁵ Marlow Foods, Stokesley, United Kingdom.
⁶ Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
⁷ The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States.

PMID: 37407163
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.03.019

Abstract

Background: Mycoprotein is a fungal source of protein that is increasingly consumed as an ingredient in meat analogs.

Objectives: This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the effects of mycoprotein intake on selected biomarkers of human health.

Methods: This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022308980). We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases to identify randomized control trials in any language until 16 August, 2022. Trials were included if they administered a mycoprotein intervention against a nonmycoprotein control arm and if reported outcomes included blood lipids, blood glucose, insulin, blood pressure, or body weight. Eligible trials were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. An inverse-variance-weighted, random-effects meta-analysis model was used to assess the effects of intake across each biomarker.

Results: Nine trials that included 178 participants with a mean follow-up of 13 d were included, with 4 reporting on blood lipids and 5 reporting on postprandial blood glucose or insulin. The overall reduction of total cholesterol was -0.55 mmol/L (95% CI: -0.85 to -0.26; P < 0.001) in the mycoprotein group compared to control, but no clear effects on HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or TGs were found (all P > 0.05). There were no reductions in postprandial blood glucose concentrations at 30, 60, 90 or 120 min. Postprandial blood insulin concentration was reduced by -76.51 pmol/L (95% CI: -150.75 to -2.28; P = 0.043) at 30 min, with no detectable effects at 60, 90, or 120 min.

Conclusions: Mycoprotein intake may have important effects on blood lipids, but the evidence base is limited by the small sample sizes and short intervention periods of the contributing trials. The protocol for this systematic review has been registered in PROSPERO as CRD42022308980.

Keywords: alternative protein; blood glucose; blood insulin; cholesterol; mycoprotein; quorn.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Blood Glucose*
Cholesterol, HDL
Cholesterol, LDL
Humans
Insulin*
Lipids

Substances

Blood Glucose
Insulin
Cholesterol, HDL
Cholesterol, LDL
Lipids