Animal and Plant Proteins and Glucose Metabolism
Animal and Plant Proteins and Glucose Metabolism
The goal of this proposal is to determine the effect of a high protein diet in which the
 increase in protein intake is derived from different sources (animal vs plant and
 protein-rich whole foods vs protein isolates) on: i) liver and muscle insulin sensitivity;
 ii) the metabolic response to a meal, and iii) 24-h plasma concentration profiles of glucose,
 glucoregulatory hormones, and protein-derived metabolites purported to cause metabolic
 dysfunction.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  age: ≥40 and ≤70 years;

 -  BMI: >24.5 and <32.5 kg/m2;

 -  habitual protein intake <0.9 g/kg/day (assessed on 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days by
 using the HealthWatch 360 app); and

 -  weight stable (i.e., ≤3% change) and untrained (≤150 min of structured exercise/week)
 for at least 2 months before entering the study.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  prediabetes or type 2 diabetes;

 -  evidence of chronic kidney disease by medical history or laboratory tests (glomerular
 filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 or an albumin to creatinine ratio in urine ≥30
 mg/g);

 -  vegetarians or vegans;

 -  intolerance or allergies to ingredients in the metabolic meal or intervention diet;

 -  take dietary supplements (e.g., pre- and probiotics, fiber, fish oil) or medications
 known to affect our study outcomes;

 -  received antibiotic or antifungal treatment (which affect the microbiome and therefore
 microbial metabolite production) 2 months before entering the study;

 -  consume tobacco products or excessive alcohol (women: >14 drinks/week; men: >21
 drinks/week);

 -  evidence of significant organ system dysfunction or diseases (e.g., cirrhosis), and

 -  unwilling or unable to provide informed consent.