PRO-FIBRE - Protein and Fibre Impact on Human Surrogate Markers of Health

Background
Plant-based proteins often have a lower digestibility compared to animal-based proteins, which can result in larger amounts of unabsorbed peptides and amino acids reaching the large intestine. Subsequently, these compounds can be metabolised by microbes inhabiting our gut – commonly referred to as ¨gut microbiota¨¹.

Produced microbial metabolites have been shown to exert local effects in the intestine but also systemic effects by entering the circulation. These modulations can be positive but also negative, depending on the concentration of metabolites produced, and are also influenced by individual age, body weight, habitual diet as well as gut microbiota composition².

Previous studies have shown that a microbiota dominated by the genus Prevotella is generally associated with diets rich in dietary fibre, whereas a Bacteroides-dominated microbiota tends to be associated with a higher consumption of animal-derived fats and proteins. These groups can affect the set of metabolites produced in response to dietary fibre intake^3,4. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the different groups – so-called enterotypes – differentially influence the production of fermentation-derived metabolites in response to a high-protein intake combined with either low or high fibre intake, and how these differences may subsequently affect gut, metabolic, and mental health.

Objectives
This project aims to evaluate the impact of pea protein with lower and higher fibre intake on surrogate markers of metabolic, gut, and mental health. The primary outcome of the study is to evaluate the interaction between enterotype (Prevotella VS. Bacteroides) and a higher-protein diet containing distinct types of dietary fibre on gut-derived metabolites.

Additional (exploratory) outcomes include but are not limited to:

• Surrogate health markers
• Breath metabolite screening
• Inter-individual glucose response profiles
• Resting-state brain activity and structure
• Stress, anxiety, and sleep patterns

References:

1.Boven L, Akkerman R, de Vos P. Sustainable diets with plant-based proteins require considerations for prevention of proteolytic fermentation. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. Published online July 2024:1-11. doi:10.1080/10408398.2024.2352523

2.Krautkramer KA, Fan J, Bäckhed F. Gut microbial metabolites as multi-kingdom intermediates. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2021;19(2):77-94. doi:10.1038/s41579-020-0438-4

3.Chen T, Long W, Zhang C, Liu S, Zhao L, Hamaker BR. Fiber-utilizing capacity varies in Prevotella- versus Bacteroides-dominated gut microbiota. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):2594. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-02995-4

4.Bartsch M, Vital M, Woltemate S, et al. Microbiota-Dependent Fiber Responses: A Proof-of-Concept Study on Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production in Prevotella- and Bacteroides-Dominated Healthy Individuals. J Nutr. 2025;155(11):3809-3822. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.08.034