AUTHOR=Derbyshire Emma J. , Delange Joanne 

TITLE=Fungal Protein – What Is It and What Is the Health Evidence? A Systematic Review Focusing on Mycoprotein

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.581682

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2021.581682

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=Mycoprotein is a protein-rich fungal-derived sustainable food source that was first discovered in the early 1960s.  Since then, a sizeable body of research has investigated the health benefits of mycelium protein.  Given this, the present publication aims to systematically review the effects of mycoprotein on human health.  A literature search of human studies was conducted using PubMed Central, Clinical Trials.gov, Google Scholar and a manual search.  Sixteen controlled trials, totaling 432 participants were included – of these 5 studies reported total cholesterol, 5 reported on energy intake, 7 on insulin levels, 8 on glucose levels and 4 studied protein response.  Risk of bias showed that 7 studies were good quality although heterogeneity was apparent between studies.  Results showed that acute mycoprotein ingestion was associated with reduced total cholesterol levels, particularly amongst those with hyperlipidemia and short-term energy intake.  Evidence was less conclusive for effects on blood glucose and insulin levels.  Mycoprotein also appears to be a promising bioavailable source of essential amino acids that induce muscle protein synthesis.  Overall, given growing interest in sustainable proteins and accruing health evidence for mycoprotein, firmer embedment with food-based dietary guidelines is now worthy of consideration.