Novel stable isotope study conducted at Texas A&M University found Postbiotic Cultured Protein’s anabolic response and amino acid bioavailability were comparable to whey protein isolate and equal to or better than pea protein isolate.
Study marks the first head-to-head comparison of a postbiotic protein against whey and pea protein using a novel intracellular tracer method developed by lead investigator Nicolaas E.P. Deutz, MD, PhD, and published in Clinical Nutrition.
Findings were presented in an oral session on the afternoon of July 26 at NUTRITION 2026, the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting in the Washington, D.C. area.
NEW CASTLE, Del., July 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Superbrewed Food, a trailblazer in innovative food ingredients, today announced new clinical findings on its Postbiotic Cultured Protein, marketed as SB1™, presented at NUTRITION 2026, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), held July 25–28 in the Washington, D.C. area. Conducted in the laboratory of Nicolaas E.P. Deutz, MD, PhD, FASN, Director of the Center for Translational Research in Aging & Longevity at Texas A&M University, the randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study is the first to directly compare Postbiotic Cultured Protein against whey protein isolate and pea protein isolate using a novel stable isotope pulse technique that simultaneously measures amino acid bioavailability and the intracellular anabolic response to a meal. The results show Postbiotic Cultured Protein performed comparably to whey — the dietary protein long considered the reference standard for muscle protein synthesis — and matched or outperformed pea protein, the most widely used plant-based alternative.
Presentation Highlights
- Comparable Anabolic Response: Net intracellular protein synthesis, expressed as a percentage of ingested protein, was not statistically different across the three sources — de-lactosed whey protein isolate (65% [95% CI: 30–100%]), pea protein (47% [22–72%]), and Postbiotic Cultured Protein (53% [22–83%]) — with large individual variability accounting for the lack of statistical separation.
- Comparable Bioavailability: Amino acid bioavailability was approximately 75% for all three proteins, indicating that Postbiotic Cultured Protein delivers amino acids into circulation as efficiently as whey and pea protein.
- Lysine, Not Protein Source, Was the Common Limiting Factor: Intracellular utilization of lysine was statistically comparable across all three proteins — including whey — identifying lysine as the key limiting amino acid regardless of source. All three proteins showed a comparable shortfall of lysine and methionine relative to intracellular demand, requiring the body to draw on its own amino acid reserves to compensate.
- A Stronger Amino Acid Foundation Than Plant Protein: Utilization data showed that fewer essential amino acids would need to be added to Postbiotic Cultured Protein than to pea protein to optimize its protein quality — evidence that Superbrewed’s fermentation-derived protein starts from a stronger amino acid base than today’s leading plant-based alternative.
“This stable isotope pulse method lets us measure not just how much protein-derived amino acids appear in the blood after a meal, but how efficiently the body actually uses those amino acids inside the cell to build new protein,” offered Dr. Deutz, the study’s principal investigator. “What stood out is that Postbiotic Cultured Protein performed on par with whey protein, and that lysine emerged as the limiting amino acid across all three sources — even whey. That tells us protein quality can’t be assumed from a label; it has to be measured directly, and postbiotic protein measured up.”
“For years, the alternative protein industry has asked consumers to trade nutrition for sustainability. This independent study, conducted by one of the most rigorous protein metabolism research labs in the world, shows that trade-off doesn’t have to exist,” said Bryan Tracy, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Superbrewed Food. “Postbiotic Cultured Protein delivered an anabolic response and bioavailability on par with whey and a stronger amino acid foundation than pea protein — all from a non-GMO, zero-lactose, allergen-free ingredient made through fermentation, the same natural process used to brew beer and culture yogurt. This is the kind of independent, peer-reviewed evidence our industry needs to move fermentation-derived protein from promising to proven.”
About the Study
The single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study enrolled 10 healthy adults (5 women, 5 men; mean age 31.4 ± 5.3 years; BMI 25.2 ± 4.0) at Texas A&M University. Following a screening visit, each participant completed four non-consecutive study days, separated by at least 48 hours of washout, during which they received one of four interventions in randomized order: Postbiotic Cultured Protein, whey protein isolate, pea protein isolate, or a water placebo. On each study day, participants sip-fed 45 grams of the assigned protein over five hours; three hours into feeding, researchers administered an intravenous pulse containing 10 labeled essential amino acids to trace postprandial amino acid kinetics and the intracellular anabolic response. Blood samples were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The tracer method was developed by Dr. Deutz and colleagues and published in Clinical Nutrition (Deutz et al., 2025; 55:196–207). The study was supported by BioMADE through its Warfighter Nutrition initiative, with funding awarded to Superbrewed Food.
About Superbrewed Food
Superbrewed Food is a nutrition and health company dedicated to developing natural, science-driven ingredients through proprietary anaerobic fermentation technology. Its Postbiotic Cultured Protein (SB1™), derived from a microbe native to the human gut microbiome, offers exceptional nutrition, sustainability, and versatility compared to conventional plant, microbial, and animal proteins. The ingredient is FDA GRAS (GRN 1129), non-GMO, allergen-free, and animal-free, and has zero lactose, making it an ideal choice for modern food innovation.
For more information, please contact info@superbrewedfood.com, or visit www.superbrewedfood.com.
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