Digestibility and gastrointestinal fate of meat versus plant-based meat analogs: An in vitro comparison

Plant-based meat analogs are likely to have different gastrointestinal fates than real meat products due to differences in their compositions and structures. Here, we compared the gastrointestinal fate of ground beef and ground beef analogs using the INFOGEST in vitro digestion model, focusing on differences in microstructure, physicochemical properties, lipid digestion, and protein digestion in different regions of the model gut. The presence of dietary fibers in the beef analogs increased their apparent shear viscosity in the gastrointestinal fluids, which may have inhibited lipid digestion in the small intestine. The proteins in the beef analogs were digested more rapidly in the stomach but less rapidly in the small intestine, which may have been due to differences in protein type (globular soy versus fibrous beef proteins), structural organization, and the presence of dietary fibers in the meat analogs.

Automated summary

Plant-based meat analogs may have different gastrointestinal fates compared to real meat products due to differences in composition and structure. Dietary fibers present in beef analogs increase their apparent shear viscosity, inhibiting lipid digestion in the small intestine, while proteins in these analogs are digested at different rates in the stomach and small intestine due to differences in protein type and structural organization.