Abstract
Mycoprotein is a protein-rich fungal-derived sustainable food source that was first discovered in the early 1960's. Since then, a sizeable body of research has investigated the health benefits of mycelium protein. Given this, the present publication aims to systematically review the effects of mycoprotein on human health. A literature search of human studies was conducted using PubMed Central, ClinicalTrials.Gov, Google Scholar and a manual search. Sixteen controlled trials, totaling 432 participants were included – of these 5 studies reported total cholesterol, 5 reported on energy intake, 7 on insulin levels, 8 on glucose levels and 4 studied protein response. Risk of bias showed that 7 studies were good quality although heterogeneity was apparent between studies. Results showed that acute mycoprotein ingestion was associated with reduced total cholesterol levels, particularly amongst those with hyperlipidemia. Evidence was less conclusive for effects on blood glucose and insulin levels. Mycoprotein also appears to be a promising bioavailable source of essential amino acids that could induce muscle protein synthesis. Overall, given growing interest in sustainable proteins and accruing health evidence for mycoprotein, firmer embedment with food-based dietary guidelines is now worthy of consideration.
Highlights
There are growing demands for sustainable food proteins which utilize technologies that are both green and cost-effective (Fasolin et al, 2019)
Plant-proteins have received heightened interest in recent years, their ability to improve markers of health such as blood lipid profile and glycaemic control amongst people with diabetes when substituted for animal protein (Viguiliouk et al, 2015; Li et al, 2017)
Plant-based food proteins are swiftly being embedded within evolving Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG)
Summary
There are growing demands for sustainable food proteins which utilize technologies that are both green (eco innovative) and cost-effective (Fasolin et al, 2019). The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a spotlight on meat supply chains and food security across the world, further propelling demands for plant-based alternatives (FutureBridge, 2020). Plant-based food proteins are swiftly being embedded within evolving Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG). A global review of FBDG found that half of the countries with protein food key messages (33 out of 67) included both plant-based and animal-derived sources of protein (Herforth et al, 2019). Other well-established food proteins, such as fungal-derived proteins appear to have been comparatively overlooked
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