The Effect of a Plant-based, Protein-dense Sauce on Essential Amino Acid Concentrations and Gut Fullness in Older Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether meals fortified with plant-based high protein sauce (ProSauce) provide better metabolic availability of essential amino acids compared to meals with standard lower-protein sauce without resulting in excessive gut fullness and satiety. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does meals with high-protein sauce deliver better metabolic availability of amino acid profile? Does this high-protein sauce also not lead to excessive appetite suppression due to its liquid form? Researchers will compare high protein sauce to a commercially available standard low protein sauce. Participants will consume two meals, either protein-fortified or standard low-protein sauce, in a randomised order with at least a one-week washout period between each meal. The investigators will collect venous blood samples over a 6-hour postprandial period to measure plasma essential (and non-essential) amino acid and insulin concentrations. The investigators will also measure appetite-related hormones from venous plasma and assess subjective appetite using a visual analogue scale, taken in parallel with the blood sample time points.

NCT Number	NCT06965699
Lead Sponsor	University of Exeter
Conditions	Malnutrition Elderly, Protein Malnutrition
Enrollment	20 participants
Start Date	2025-07-10
Primary Completion	2025-10-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-04-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-09-23