Domić Jacintha, Pinckaers Philippe Jm, Grootswagers Pol, Siebelink Els, Gerdessen Johanna C, van Loon Luc Jc, de Groot Lisette Cpgm
Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Department of Human Biology, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
J Nutr. 2025 Apr;155(4):1141-1150. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.12.019. Epub 2024 Dec 26.
Plant-based foods have reduced protein digestibility and frequently display unbalanced amino acid profiles. Plant-based foods are therefore considered inferior to animal-based foods in their anabolic potential. No study has assessed the anabolic potential of a vegan diet that provides a large variety of plant-based protein sources in older adults.
To investigate the effect of a 10-d vegan diet on daily mixed muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rates in comparison with an isocaloric, isonitrogenous, omnivorous diet in community-dwelling older adults.
This cross-over trial assessed 34 community-dwelling older adults (72 ± 4 y, 18 males, 16 females), who were randomly assigned to consume a 10-d controlled vegan diet, followed by a controlled omnivorous diet (60% animal protein), or vice versa. One day before the study diets, participants consumed 400 mL deuterated water, followed by daily doses of 50 mL. Subsequent plasma and muscle samples were collected during the intervention period. Physical activity levels were assessed using accelerometry. Secondary outcomes were cardiometabolic risk factors and appetite. Statistical analyses were performed using linear mixed models, and results are presented as means ± standard errors.
Integrated MPS rates did not differ between the vegan (1.23 ± 0.04%/d) and omnivorous (1.29 ± 0.04%/d) diets (P = 0.2542). Plasma low-density lipoprotein (Δ0.23 ± 0.03, P < 0.0001), high-density lipoprotein (Δ0.03 ± 0.14, P = 0.0387), and total cholesterol (Δ0.25 ± 0.04, P < 0.0001) levels were significantly lower succeeding the vegan diet than the omnivorous diet. There were no significant differences between the omnivorous and the vegan diet in fasting plasma triglyceride, glucose and insulin levels, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P > 0.05). Physical activity levels were high (12,460 ± 4512 steps/d).
A well-balanced vegan diet providing a variety of plant-based protein sources does not compromise daily MPS rates when compared with an isocaloric, isonitrogenous omnivorous diet in physically active, older adults. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05624333 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05624333).
植物性食物的蛋白质消化率较低，且氨基酸谱往往不均衡。因此，植物性食物在合成代谢潜力方面被认为不如动物性食物。尚无研究评估为老年人提供多种植物性蛋白质来源的纯素饮食的合成代谢潜力。
与等热量、等氮的杂食性饮食相比，研究为期10天的纯素饮食对社区居住老年人每日混合肌肉蛋白质合成（MPS）率的影响。
这项交叉试验评估了34名社区居住老年人（72±4岁，18名男性，16名女性），他们被随机分配先食用10天的受控纯素饮食，然后食用受控杂食性饮食（60%动物蛋白），或反之。在研究饮食前一天，参与者饮用400 mL氘水，随后每天饮用50 mL。在干预期收集后续的血浆和肌肉样本。使用加速度计评估身体活动水平。次要结果是心血管代谢风险因素和食欲。使用线性混合模型进行统计分析，结果以均值±标准误表示。
纯素饮食（1.23±0.04%/天）和杂食性饮食（1.29±0.04%/天）之间的综合MPS率没有差异（P = 0.2542）。与杂食性饮食相比，纯素饮食后血浆低密度脂蛋白（Δ0.23±0.03，P < 0.0001）、高密度脂蛋白（Δ0.03±0.14，P = 0.0387）和总胆固醇（Δ0.25±0.04，P < 0.0001）水平显著降低。杂食性饮食和纯素饮食在空腹血浆甘油三酯、葡萄糖和胰岛素水平、胰岛素抵抗的稳态模型评估以及收缩压和舒张压方面没有显著差异（P > 0.05）。身体活动水平较高（12460±4512步/天）。
与体力活动水平较高的老年人的等热量、等氮杂食性饮食相比，提供多种植物性蛋白质来源的均衡纯素饮食不会影响每日MPS率。该试验在clinicaltrials.gov上注册为NCT05624333（https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05624333）。
