Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether meals fortified with plant-based high protein sauce (ProSauce) provide better metabolic availability of essential amino acids compared to meals with standard lower-protein sauce without resulting in excessive gut fullness and satiety. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does meals with high-protein sauce deliver better metabolic availability of amino acid profile? Does this high-protein sauce also not lead to excessive appetite suppression due to its liquid form? Researchers will compare high protein sauce to a commercially available standard low protein sauce.
Participants will consume two meals, either protein-fortified or standard low-protein sauce, in a randomised order with at least a one-week washout period between each meal. The investigators will collect venous blood samples over a 6-hour postprandial period to measure plasma essential (and non-essential) amino acid and insulin concentrations. The investigators will also measure appetite-related hormones from venous plasma and assess subjective appetite using a visual analogue scale, taken in parallel with the blood sample time points.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Aged 60 and over
- Living independently in the community
- Capacity to provide informed consent
- Non-smoking (vaping is considered smoking)
- No known medical conditions that might influence the study outcomes, e.g., heart disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity, disthyroidism and other endocrinopathies and renal failure
- Not taking any medications that might influence the study outcomes e.g., taking anabolic steroids or corticosteroids long term
- No clinically diagnosed eating disorders
- No severe dislike or allergy to any of the study food
- No hospitalisations in the last 6 months
- Not dieting and weight stable for 3 months before the study (< 3 kg change in weight)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age < 60y
- Smoking
- Food allergies
- Cognitive and mobility issues
- Hospitalisation in the last 6 months
- Known medical conditions that might influence the study outcomes
- Taking medications that influence the study outcomes