Postprandial Aminoacidemia Following the Ingestion of Alternative and Sustainable Proteins in Humans: A Narrative Review 

Mohammed Ahmed Yimam 1,2,3,* , 

Martina Andreini 2 , 

Sara Carnevale 4 

Maurizio Muscaritoli 2,* 

1 Department of Science, Technology and Society, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy 

2 Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; martina.andreini@uniroma1.it 

3 Department of Public Health, College of Health Science, Woldia University, Woldia P.O. Box 400, Ethiopia 

4 Belcolle Hospital, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; carnevale.sara1@gmail.com 

* Correspondence: mohammed.yimam@iusspavia.it (M.A.Y.); 

maurizio.muscaritoli@uniroma1.it (M.M.) 

Abstract: 

There is a pressing need to expand the production and consumption of alternative protein sources from plants, fungi, insects, and algae from both nutritional and sustainability perspectives. It is well known that the postprandial rise in plasma amino acid concentrations and subsequent muscle anabolic response is greater after the ingestion of animal-derived protein sources, such as dairy, meat, and eggs, than plant-based proteins. However, emerging evidence shows that a similar muscle anabolic response is observed—despite a lower and slower postprandial aminoacidemia—after the ingestion of alternative protein sources compared with animal-derived protein sources. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of plasma amino acid kinetics after the ingestion of alternative protein sources would play a significant role in recognizing and identifying the anabolic properties of these protein sources, allowing for the implementation of the best nutritional intervention strategies, contributing to more sustainable food production, and developing new medical nutritional products with optimal impacts on muscle mass, strength, and function, both in terms of health and disease. Therefore, this narrative review is focused on postprandial amino acid kinetics (the area under the curve, peak, and time to reach the peak concentration of amino acids) based on experimental randomized controlled trials performed in young and older adults following the ingestion of different novel, sustainable, and alternative protein sources.