Aminolase – Improved DIAAS Support from Poor Quality Proteins

Instead, our bodies typically only absorb about 10-20% of the dietary protein we consume. The recommended daily requirement for protein is 50 grams per day, but this is hard to achieve given that our bodies generally absorb small percentages of the protein we eat [1].

In addition, protein serving sizes on labels are often misleading because 15 grams of protein from a peanut butter bar, for example, is not equivalent to 15 grams of protein from a slice of meat. Furthermore, plant-based protein is not digested as easily as animal-based protein [1]. This is because the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract was not designed to absorb soy, gluten, and other fibrous plant-based proteins .

Aminolase® is a protein-digesting enzyme blend that helps maximize your body's ability to absorb proteins, but consuming easily digestible, high-quality protein is still the key to enhanced health.

Not All Protein Is the Same

To further emphasize the importance of understanding that foods contain proteins of different quality, quantity, and digestibility, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations introduced the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) [1, 2]. This scoring system measures the digestibility of each indispensable amino acid — accounting for the true amount of the amino acid that is absorbed by the time it reaches the end of the digestive tract [1].

According to the DIAAS system, animal protein sources offer the highest quality of easily absorbable essential amino acids, followed by plant protein sources that vary widely in relation to protein quality and digestibility [1, 2]. However, whether you follow a plant-based diet or eat meat and other sources of animal protein, your GI tract still needs additional support in order to properly absorb healthy amounts of protein that meet your daily requirements.

Heighten Protein Digestibility With Aminolase®

Research shows that animal-based protein sources consist of easily digestible, high-quality protein that is an excellent source of all essential amino acids [1, 2]. Plant-based protein powders from sources such as soybeans or peas contain adequate levels of good-quality protein, followed by other plant sources such as baked chickpeas, lentils, nuts, rice, wheat, etc., that typically supply lower amounts of poor-quality protein [1, 2]. 

This means that eating 30 grams of soy protein is not nutritionally as beneficial as 30 grams of beef protein. Both sources supply essential amino acids, but the digestibility (DIAAS value) of soy protein is lower than that of beef protein, meaning that it is a lot harder for the GI tract to absorb and use the amino acids in soy protein. More importantly, consuming large amounts of soy protein may not provide the health benefits that are expected. An even bigger problem is that the GI tract typically only absorbs about 20% of dietary protein.

To compensate for this issue, many people try to eat large servings of protein-rich foods. Even professional athletes and bodybuilders try to consume large amounts of protein in hopes that their GI tract will absorb at least 80% of the missing or undigested amino acids that are usually flushed out of the body. However, without an adequate supply of protein-digesting enzymes in the gut, large percentages of protein are simply wasted.

Aminolase® Boosts Protein Digestion and DIAAS Value

Aminolase® is formulated with highly-concentrated plant-based proteases — protein-digesting enzymes that enhance the body’s ability to completely break down animal-based and plant-based proteins. By consuming this carefully designed formula, you can eat sources of proteins with different DIAAS values and still reap the benefits of absorbing nearly complete amounts of protein from your food.

Adding Aminolase® to your daily diet also helps ensure that undigested proteins are not excreted or accidentally absorbed during digestion, where they can travel to the bloodstream and become harmful toxins or circulating immune complexes (CICs) [3]. The accumulation of CICs is often linked to stomach discomfort after eating certain types of protein-rich foods.

During the digestive process, stomach acid promotes the breakdown of proteins into single amino acids, particularly essential amino acids that the body uses to produce energy, to encourage muscle repair, and to build lean muscle mass [4-6]. However, fibrous protein can reduce stomach acidity and hinder the GI tract’s ability to completely digest all of the proteins [4, 5]. This problem increases the risk of CIC development [3]. Large portions of undigested proteins can also prevent the body’s tissues and organs from receiving adequate amounts of amino acids that reinforce good health.

More specifically, if the enzymes in Aminolase® are lacking in the gut, the large percentage of undigested proteins may cause [7]:

• Stomach discomfort including bloating, gas, cramping, and diarrhea
• Abnormal inflammatory responses including fatigue or bodily discomfort
• Protein fermentation into harmful agents (e.g., ammonia) in the gut or colon
• The kidneys to process the undigested proteins, which may cause damage 

Overall, taking Aminolase® regularly encourages the complete absorption of protein-rich foods, whether they are from animal or plant sources. Supplementation with Aminolase® also lowers the risk of experiencing health problems due to excess amounts of undigested proteins that can accumulate in the intestines when there are low levels of protein-digesting enzymes in the gut.

References

1. Moughan PJ. Population protein intakes and food sustainability indices: The metrics matter. Global Food Security. 2021; Population protein intakes and food sustainability indices: The metrics matter.
2. Moughan PJ, Wolfe RR. 2019. Determination of dietary amino acid digestibility in humans. J Nutr. 2019;149(12):2101-2109.
3. Landa SB. Peculiarities of the formation and subsequent removal of the circulating immune complexes from the bloodstream during the process of digestion. F1000Res. 2018;7:618.
4. Fordtran JS, Walsh JH. Gastric acid secretion rate and buffer content of the stomach after eating. Results in normal subjects and in patients with duodenal ulcer. J Clin Invest. Mar 1973;52(3):645-657.
5. Schaafsma G. The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score. J Nutr. Jul 2000;130(7):1865S-1867S.
6. Aguirre N, van Loon LJ, Baar K. The role of amino acids in skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise. Nestle Nutr Inst Workshop Ser. 2013;76:85-102.
7. Silvester KR, Bingham SA, Pollock JR, Cummings JH, O'Neill IK. Effect of meat and resistant starch on fecal excretion of apparent N-nitroso compounds and ammonia from the human large bowel. Nutr Cancer. 1997;29(1):13-23.