Microbiota Stability and Gastrointestinal Tolerance in Response to a High-Protein Diet with and without a Prebiotic, Probiotic, and Synbiotic: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Older Women

Abstract

Background Higher protein intakes may help reduce sarcopenia and facilitate recovery from illness and injury in older adults. However, high-protein diets (HPDs) including animal-sourced foods may negatively perturb the microbiota, and provision of probiotics and prebiotics may mitigate these effects.Objective The aim of this study was to examine the effects of HPD, with and without a probiotic and/or prebiotic, on gut microbiota and wellness in older women. DesignWe conducted an 18-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Participants/setting Participants were healthy, older women (mean ageAEstandard deviation¼73.7AE5.6 years; n¼26) recruited from Florida.Intervention Participants received a weight-maintenance HPD for 2-week periods and the following, in random order: HPD alone (1.5 to 2.2 g/kg/day protein); HPD plus multistrain probiotic formulation (1.54Â10 9 Bifidobacterium bifidum HA-132, 4.62Â10 9 Bifidobacterium breve HA-129, 4.62Â10 9 Bifidobacterium longum HA-135, 4.62Â10 9 Lactobacillus acidophilus HA-122, and 4.62Â10 9 Lactobacillus plantarum HA-119), HPD plus prebiotic (5.6 g inulin), and HPD plus synbiotic (probiotic plus inulin), separated by 2-week washouts. Stools were collected per period for quantitative polymerase chain reaction (strain recovery) and 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing analyses (microbiota profile). Measures of gastrointestinal and general wellness were assessed.Main outcome measures Microbiota composition and probiotic strain recovery were measured.Statistical analyses Microbiota composition was analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test and t test. Secondary outcomes were analyzing using generalized linear mixed models. ResultsThe microbiota profile demonstrated relative stability with the HPD; representation of Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Streptococcus were enhanced, whereas butyrate producers, Roseburia and Anaerostipes, were suppressed. Lactococcus was suppressed with synbiotic vs other HPD periods. Recovery was confirmed for all probiotic strains. Indicators of wellness were unchanged, with the exception of a minimal increase in gastrointestinal distress with inulin. Fat-free mass increased from baseline to study end.Conclusions An HPD adhering to the recommended acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges maintains wellness in healthy older women and exerts minor perturbations to the microbiome profile, a group that may benefit from a higher protein intake. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT #02445560.

Microbiota profile and efficacy of probiotic supplementation on laxation in adults affected by Prader‐Willi Syndrome: A randomized, double‐blind, crossover trial

“…Single stools were collected at the end of each 4-week period and stored at −80°C. Total DNA was extracted from stool samples using the QIAmp Fast DNA Stool Mini Kit (Qiagen) with previously described modifications (Ford et al, 2020). Extracted DNA was used for the absolute quantitation of B. animalis to ensure participant compliance and relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Bifidobacterium genus as microbes of interest.…”

“…Extracted DNA was used for the absolute quantitation of B. animalis to ensure participant compliance and relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Bifidobacterium genus as microbes of interest. Detailed Real-Time PCR methods were previously reported (Ford et al, 2020). In brief, Real-Time PCR reactions were prepared with a final volume of 10 µl, including 300 nM of both forward and reverse primers (Table S1), 1X SYBR Select Master Mix (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and 1 µl of five-fold diluted DNA.…”

Exploring the Preventive Effect and Mechanism of Senile Sarcopenia Based on “Gut–Muscle Axis”

“…In an animal study, compared to animal protein feeding, hamsters show higher microbial diversity in those fed soy protein (An et al, 2014;Butteiger et al, 2016). As is known to all, supplementation with protein can improve skeletal muscle mass and function, and it has been reported that a high-protein diet (HPD) adhering to the recommended acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges might help reduce sarcopenia (Ford et al, 2020). Moreover, studies suggest that whey protein and leucine supplementation appeared to improve muscle mass and function (Bechshoft et al, 2016;Kobayashi, 2018).…”

Impact of Protein Intake in Older Adults with Sarcopenia and Obesity: A Gut Microbiota Perspective

“…It is suggested that the ratio of carbohydrates and protein consumed impacts the protein utilized by the microbiome. Following a 2-week high-protein diet (1.5–2.2 g/kg/day) in older women, microbial composition remained unaltered in the absence of added probiotic formulation [ 236 ]. The suppressed butyrate-producing populations of Roseburia and Anaerostipes were lower than the probiotic added groups and no changes were seen regarding Eubacterium and Ruminococcus , possibly due to the higher fiber intake of the plant-based products.…”