Adding Probiotic to Milk Protein May Help Increase Absorption of Amino Acids

Dietary proteins are, with very few exceptions, not absorbed. Rather, they must be digested into amino acids which are then absorbed. A recent study has found that adding the probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 (BC30) to milk protein concentrate may help increase absorption of amino acids.

Thirty adults with an average age of 26 participated in the study. They were given 25 grams per day of milk concentrate with or without one billion CFUs of BC30 added for two weeks. Following a three-week washout period, they crossed over to the other intervention. Blood samples were taken after they consumed their final supplemented dose at 0, 30, 60, 90-, 120-, 180-, and 240-minutes post-consumption and analyzed for 20 different amino acid concentrations.

After taking the milk concentrate supplemented with the probiotic, participants saw an increase in concentration maximum for the amino acids arginine, serine, ornithine, methionine, glutamic acid, phenylalanine, isoleucine, and tyrosine. Concentration maximum reflects the rate and the extent of absorption. They also saw faster absorption for glutamine, citrulline, threonine, and alanine.

The study was conducted by researchers from Lindenwood University.It was published online ahead of print on October 23, 2020 in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism.