New Study Demonstrates GanedenBC30 Probiotic Increases Protein & Amino Acid Absorption

The study results may be of particular interest to food manufacturers, which provide products for professional and amateur athletes and the growing market of active adults who use meal replacement products.

18 May 2012 --- Ganeden Biotech announced important findings on protein absorption in combination with the probiotic, GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086). Data from the study demonstrated that in just two weeks, combining one billion colony forming units (cfus) of GanedenBC30 with one serving of protein per day increases the absorption of 23 important amino acids over the baseline compared to protein without GanedenBC30. The results are particularly important to food manufacturers that target the sports nutrition and active adults markets that feature protein as a key ingredient.

"We have known for some time that GanedenBC30 benefits those consuming protein, but this study provides the data to illustrate the role that GanedenBC30 can play in enhancing the use of protein in muscle growth and recovery," said Mike Bush, Vice President of Business Development, Ganeden Biotech.

The effects of GanedenBC30 with protein were examined in a randomized double blind crossover clinical trial on key amino acids including leucine (the regulator for muscle protein synthesis), isoleucine and valine (branched chain amino acids), as well as histidine, alanine, asparagines, citrulline, cystine, glutamine (a key amino acid for supporting ph balance and the immune system), methionine, ornthinine, serine, threonine, tryptophan and phenylalanine. Raw data indicated that GanedenBC30 had a positive effect (increases) on the absorption of a number of these key amino acids: Leucine by 23%, Isoluecine by 20%, Valine by 7%, Glutamine by 116%, Ornithine by 100%, Tryptophan by 100% and Citrulline by 128%.

The study results may be of particular interest to food manufacturers, which provide products for professional and amateur athletes and the growing market of active adults who use meal replacement products. One example of such a product is illustrated by the success of Gaspari Nutrition's Myofusion Probiotic and Real Mass Probiotic formulas, both of which contain GanedenBC30. When describing the choice to utilize GanedenBC30, Dan Pierce, Vice President of Brand Strategy and Product Development for Gaspari Nutrition said, "When choosing GanedenBC30 as our probiotic of choice for the Gaspari brand, Ganeden Labs' commitment to continuing research was a high priority for us. We are pleased to see that the benefits for the sports nutrition community are now being validated and elucidated publicly with this new study."

It is commonly known that:
- Increased levels of glutamine have been shown to slow degradation of muscle protein and supports immune system and gut integrity from the exercise-induced stress.
- Leucine is the only dietary amino acid that has the capacity to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and has been found to slow the degradation of muscle tissue by increasing the synthesis of muscle proteins. Leucine has recently earned more attention as a catalyst for muscle growth and muscular insurance.
- Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained through diet. Tryptophan functions as a biochemical precursor for - Niacin, an essential human vitamin, and serotonin, an important neurotransmitter. Insufficient quantities of serotonin can cause depression, mood disorders and sleeping problems.

In addition, the data confirms a number of previous studies including a published study that showed that GanedenBC30 increases the metabolism of protein in the gut.1

Dr. Ralf Jäger, President of Increnovo LLC, certified sports nutritionist and a Fellow of the International Society of Sports Nutrition stated that "improved protein utilization might benefit people supplementing their diets with protein such as athletes trying to increase pre-workout effect on muscle protein synthesis, or people trying to balance the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength associated with aging." Jäger adds, "Previously considered inferior protein sources which are naturally lower in leucine such as soy or rice, might specifically benefit from GanedenBC30, giving athletes with allergies against lactose or who are cautious about Cholesterol a valuable alternative to whey protein."

The composition of GanedenBC30 differentiates itself from other probiotics with its ability to survive manufacturing processes, shelf life, stomach acids and intestinal bile. This allows GanedenBC30 to be incorporated into a variety of foods ranging from frozen yogurt and baked goods to hot cereals and confections. The utility of GanedenBC30 can be linked to its naturally occurring layer of organic material that protects the genetic core of the bacteria. Other probiotics, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, are unable to form this protective layer, making them more vulnerable to manufacturing conditions.