Diets rich in plants are known to have beneficial effects on both the environment and human health. Replacing animal proteins with plant proteins has been suggested to reduce the risk of many major chronic diseases, and whole plant-based ingredients possess high potential for desirable health effects. Yet, the healthiness of plant-based protein-rich products cannot be taken for granted. In order to make plant-based protein-rich products more palatable and better digestible, plant raw materials may undergo several processing steps. During these steps, carbohydrate fractions (e.g., dietary fibre) are typically removed from the raw material. This might result in losses of micronutrients and potentially bioactive phytochemicals (e.g., polyphenolic compounds). To some products, salt and fats are added, and this may deteriorate the nutritional quality of the end product. However, there is only limited amount of scientific knowledge about the effects of plant-based high-protein products of different processing levels on human metabolism and gut microbiota.
In the spring 2023, Hanhineva lab is conducting an intervention study at the University of Turku to explore the impact of commercial plant-based protein-rich food products on the human metabolome and gut microbiome composition. The study is a part of a larger umbrella project Newplant, funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.
Newplant research team is recruiting participants for the intervention in March and April 2023. Read more about the study from our Newplant intervention page.