Pea Protein Powder: Benefits vs. Whey, Dosage & Side Effects

Dr. Josh Axe Vitamin Advisor · 4–5 questions

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Pea protein is the protein of the humble dried pea, separated from the pea's starch and fiber and dried into a pale, mild powder that's about 80% protein.91 Peas belong to the legume family, and their protein has done well under study: in a randomized trial of 15 adults, its amino acids were absorbed nearly as completely as those of milk casein.2

Protein powder is the number one supplement I recommend for burning fat and building muscle.10 Quite a few people are sensitive to whey and dairy, though, and for them, I recommend switching to a plant-based protein.10

Did you know?

• Makers can pull protein out of peas two ways, with a mild alkaline wash or with salt water and fine membrane filters, and in a 2022 lab study both methods produced isolates more than 87% pure.9

• Researchers expected pea protein's low methionine to hold back muscle building after a workout, and in a randomized trial of 33 trained young adults, it matched the response to mycoprotein.11

• In a randomized study of 20 men, pea protein delivered by tube straight into the small intestine, past the stomach, cut the calories eaten at the next meal by 168.9 in lean men and 298.2 in men with obesity, compared with water.12

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What is pea protein?

Pea protein comes in a few forms. Pea protein isolate is the everyday powder, and the results below refer to it unless they name another form. A hydrolysate is pea protein broken into small pieces with an enzyme, and a blend mixes pea with other proteins.

It sits alongside whey, casein, brown rice protein and hemp protein on the shelf, and our guide to vegan protein powder compares the plant options.

Does pea have protein?

Yes, plenty. A cup of cooked split peas has 231 calories, 16.3 grams of protein and 16.3 grams of fiber, along with 710 milligrams of potassium and 127 micrograms of folate.13 For plant protein from food, I put beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts and seeds at the top.14

Powder: the manufacturer's label values for the powder used in a 2026 trial.8 Split peas: USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172429, calculated from the per-100-gram values at the 196-gram cup weight.13 USDA has no record for pea protein isolate, so check your own powder's label.

Whole peas bring fiber, potassium and folate along with their protein, so keep them on your plate and use the powder to fill a protein gap.

Is pea protein a complete protein?

A complete protein supplies all nine essential amino acids, the ones your body can't make, in amounts that meet your needs. With a powder, it also matters how much of each one your body takes in.

A randomized trial was built to measure exactly that. Fifteen healthy adults had a thin tube placed through the nose to the end of the small intestine, then ate mashed potatoes mixed with either pea protein isolate or milk casein, each labeled so researchers could trace it. By the end of the small intestine, 93.6% of pea protein's amino acids had been absorbed, against 96.8% for casein, a difference too small to rule out chance. The body put the same share of each protein to work, 71.6% for pea and 71.2% for casein.2 Put simply, your body uses pea protein about as well as it uses milk protein.

From those measurements, the researchers calculated a DIAAS of 1.00 for pea protein. DIAAS, the digestible indispensable amino acid score, rates a protein by how much of each essential amino acid you absorb, and 1.00 means it meets every requirement; casein scored 1.45.2 Four amino acids, leucine among them, were individually a little less digestible from pea than from casein.

The amino acid mix differs from whey too. In a randomized trial where 30 young and older men each drank pea protein and whey on different days, blood leucine rose 91% to 130% more after whey, while arginine rose 147% to 210% more after pea protein.15 When the researchers bathed mouse muscle cells grown in the lab in the men's blood, the cells built protein at the same rate whichever drink the men had taken. The leucine gap is the reason a pea protein serving should run larger, as the dosing section explains.

Pea protein vs. rice and hemp protein

Pea protein is rich in lysine, an essential amino acid many plant proteins run short on, and low in methionine. Brown rice and hemp protein run the other way, and blending pea with either gives a more complete amino acid profile, according to a lab analysis of commercial protein isolates.1

Lab analysis of commercial protein isolates; lysine and methionine as a share of total protein.1

What is pea protein good for?

How pea protein builds muscle

Here's the path from scoop to muscle, using what's been measured in people. Each step depends on the one before it, and the last one depends on you lifting.

Pea protein benefits, ranked by evidence

Ranked by the strength of the human research, pea protein's benefits start with muscle and strength alongside training, then muscle building after 50, followed by after-meal blood sugar, fullness before a meal, cholesterol and blood pressure and, with mixed results, recovery after hard exercise.

Is pea protein as good as whey for building muscle?

Of all the protein powders, I consider whey the best when it's organic, A2 and grass-fed.10 The trials below show how closely pea protein keeps pace with it.

The original head-to-head trial enrolled 161 men aged 18 to 35 who trained their arms for 12 weeks. They took 25 grams of pea protein, whey or a placebo twice a day, and neither the men nor the researchers knew who got which. Biceps thickness grew across the trial, from 24.9 to 27.3 millimeters on average, and the pea and whey groups didn't differ significantly. Among the men who started out weakest, thickness rose 20.2% on pea protein, 15.6% on whey and 8.6% on placebo; pea protein beat placebo, and whey landed in between, not significantly different from either.3 Strength rose in every group, with no difference between them.

In a randomized trial of sedentary adults who started weekly strength training, 25 took pea protein and 25 took whey isolate, about 20 to 22.5 grams of protein per serving, for 84 days, with no placebo group, and neither the people nor the researchers knew who got what. Among the 35 who completed the study as planned, whole-body strength rose 16.1% on pea protein, a significant gain, and 11.1% on whey, which fell just short of significance; the two groups didn't differ significantly, and both powders were well tolerated.4 In a randomized pilot of 15 adults doing high-intensity functional training four times a week, 24 grams of whey or pea protein before and after workouts produced the same gains in back squat and deadlift strength over 8 weeks.5

Protein works with the lifting. In my metabolic reset protocol, that means strength training three times a week, with squats, hinges, pushes, pulls and carries and a little more weight over time.27 Our guide to strength training for longevity shows you how to start.

Pooled analyses that compare plant and animal protein in general, mostly soy, found no difference for strength or for adults 60 and older, and soy matched milk protein for muscle mass; animal protein kept a small edge for muscle mass in younger adults.2829 Pea protein's own head-to-head trials, above, are the more direct test.

Pea protein for muscle after 50

Muscle responds less to protein as you age, a slowdown researchers call anabolic resistance, and it's part of how sarcopenia, age-related muscle loss, takes hold.6 In a randomized trial of healthy men around age 72, everyone first ate a controlled diet with protein at the recommended daily amount for a week. Then 11 of them added 25 grams of pea protein at breakfast and lunch, 50 grams a day, for 8 days, while 10 added whey, and neither the men nor the researchers knew who got which. On pea protein, the share of muscle protein rebuilt each day rose from 1.46% to 1.59%, the same rise whey produced.6

In a second randomized trial, 27 adults aged 50 to 70 ate 1.0 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight a day for 10 days, from either a plant-focused diet built around pea protein or an animal-focused diet built around whey, and trained one leg every other day. The trained leg built muscle faster than the untrained one on both diets, 1.50% versus 1.34% a day on the pea diet and 1.44% versus 1.29% on the whey diet, with no difference between the diets.7 For the foods that help, see our list of muscle-building foods.

Recovery after hard workouts

Three randomized trials compared the two proteins for recovery after punishing exercise, and their results differed. In a randomized trial, 92 men were split into groups that took whey, pea protein or water for 5 days after a punishing 90-minute bout of eccentric exercise, the lowering phase of a lift that's hardest on muscle. The two protein groups got 0.9 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, and neither those men nor the researchers knew which protein was which. Whey lowered the muscle-damage markers creatine kinase and myoglobin compared with water, pea protein had an in-between effect that wasn't significant, whey and pea protein didn't differ significantly from each other, and soreness and fitness tests didn't differ.25

In a randomized trial of 47 active adults aged 60 and older (45 finished), 25 grams a day for 13 days around a long walk of 20 to 30 kilometers (about 12 to 19 miles) left creatine kinase a day later at 175 units per liter on whey, 300 on pea protein and 330 on placebo.26 In a randomized trial, 12 young soccer players each took 0.5 grams per kilogram of a pea protein concentrate and of whey after training, for 10 days around a match each time, and neither the players nor the researchers knew which was which. Pea protein produced lower creatine kinase after the game and for two days afterward, along with lower lactate and lower levels of the liver enzyme ALT.24 Our guide to muscle recovery covers the sleep, food and movement that do the rest.

Can pea protein before a meal help with fullness and blood sugar?

My metabolic reset protocol calls protein the fullness nutrient, and its first step is 30 grams of protein within an hour of waking, from eggs, Greek yogurt or kefir, a protein shake or wild salmon.27 A pea protein shake is one easy way to get there, and the trials show why the timing matters.

Fullness

In a randomized trial where 32 young men each tried six drinks on separate days without knowing which they got, a 20-gram pea protein drink taken 30 minutes before an all-you-care-to-eat meal led them to eat significantly less than water did; only pea protein and casein did that. The men trimmed their meal by about as many calories as the pea drink supplied (103% of them, against 62% for whey), and they rated themselves fuller.16 In a second randomized trial of 32 men, the same drinks taken as a starter during the meal made no difference to how much the men ate, so give the shake its half hour.

At breakfast, pea protein and whey kept people equally full. A 40-gram drink of either produced the same appetite, food intake and calorie burning in a randomized trial of 15 young and 15 older men who each tried both, and appetite and buffet intake didn't differ in a randomized trial of 10 young adults who each tried pea, whey and a pea-rice blend.2122 Our guide to satiety covers the other foods and habits that keep you full.

Blood sugar

The newest trial tested timing directly. In a randomized pilot where 10 healthy adults, 8 women and 2 men, each tried all three versions, 30 grams of pea protein powder (about 24 grams of protein) in water came either 30 minutes before or together with about 109 grams of white bread carrying 50 grams of carbohydrate, or the bread came alone. The peak rise in blood sugar was 0.7 mmol/L (about 13 mg/dL) with pea protein first, 1.2 mmol/L (about 22 mg/dL) with pea protein alongside, and 1.85 mmol/L (about 33 mg/dL) with bread alone, and taking the protein first pushed the peak back from 30 to 60 minutes.8 Diastolic blood pressure also ran lower than with bread alone, by 9.2 points 3 hours after the meal when pea protein came first, and hunger ran lower an hour after the meal.8

Glucose-drink trials point the same way. In a randomized trial where 31 healthy adults each tried every version, adding 25 or 50 grams of pea protein to 50 grams of glucose lowered the blood-sugar response by 31% and 53%, while insulin rose 28% and 40%.18 In a randomized trial of 30 healthy adults who each tried every version, 20 grams of pea protein lowered the response about 37%, against 31% with 20 grams of whey, and the insulin response was about a third lower than after whey.19

The form matters too. In a randomized trial where 15 young men each tried every version, 10 grams of pea protein on its own didn't lower blood sugar before a meal, while the same protein paired with 7 grams of pea hull fiber, or a serving of whole yellow peas, did.20 To put this to work, take a pea protein shake about 30 minutes before a carbohydrate-heavy meal, eat whole peas and other legumes often, and walk 10 minutes after your two biggest meals, another step in the protocol.27 For the bigger picture, see the insulin resistance diet and what counts as normal blood sugar.

Does pea protein cause bloating or gas?

Plant-based protein can be fantastic, and some people do get digestive trouble from certain plant proteins. I recommend choosing one that's easier to digest, with added enzymes and probiotics or made from sprouted sources.14

Trials of two of those add-ins measured how much of pea protein's amino acids reach your blood, and both raised it. In a placebo-controlled trial, 15 active men each took 20 grams of pea protein a day for 2 weeks with a two-strain probiotic and, in a separate 2 weeks, with a placebo, and the probiotic raised total essential amino acids in the blood from the pea protein by 16%, including leucine by 23% and methionine by 20%.31 In a placebo-controlled trial, 24 adults each took 25 grams of pea protein isolate with a blend of microbial protease enzymes and, on another day, with a placebo; total amino acids in the blood ran higher over 5 hours with the enzymes, and in the first 2 hours, total amino acids were 22% higher, essential amino acids 16% higher and leucine 9% higher, though essential amino acids and leucine weren't significantly higher over the full 5.32 Both trials were run partly by the companies that make those supplements. You'll find more on digestive enzymes and probiotic supplements in our guides.

Some protein powders also add fibers such as inulin from chicory root. In a placebo-controlled trial of 84 healthy volunteers, each of whom took two of six inulin-type fiber treatments and a placebo, 5 to 20 grams a day tended to raise digestive symptoms such as gas, rumbling and bloating, mildly, and significantly only at 20 grams a day of one product.30 If a shake bothers you, check the label for added fibers, try half a scoop for a week, and see how to get rid of bloating.

How much pea protein should you take a day?

For most people, I recommend 30 to 40 grams of protein three times a day, and if you're over 40, aim closer to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.3310 When I'm building muscle, I go higher, about 40 grams four times a day, with one of those servings a shake after my workout.33 Our guide to how many grams of protein per day walks through the math, and the high-protein foods list shows where food covers most of it.

The research lines up with those targets. Across 49 randomized trials in 1,863 adults who strength-trained for at least 6 weeks, protein supplements of all kinds added 2.49 kilograms (about 5.5 pounds) to one-rep strength and 0.30 kilograms of lean mass, and lean-mass gains leveled off above about 1.62 grams per kilogram a day; because the range around that estimate reached 2.2 grams per kilogram, about 1 gram per pound, the authors suggested about that much for people who want the most muscle from their training.34 The International Society of Sports Nutrition puts the daily range for most people who exercise at 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram, about 0.64 to 0.91 grams per pound, with 20 to 40 grams per serving spread every 3 to 4 hours.35 For adults over 65, an international expert group recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram a day, and 1.2 or more for those who stay active.36

Pea protein carries less leucine per gram than whey, so a serving needs to be bigger for the same signal. By one lab analysis, about 38 grams of pea protein, roughly 48 grams of powder, supplies the 2.7 grams of leucine in 25 grams of whey.1

When to take it: after your workout, or about 30 minutes before a carbohydrate-heavy meal, depending on your goal. Muscle stays primed for protein for at least a day after training, so the exact minute matters less than getting the protein in.35

How to use pea protein powder

Unflavored pea protein blends best with ingredients that bring their own flavor, such as fruit, greens, cinnamon or a nut butter. On my show, I described a breakfast smoothie with nearly 50 grams of protein, from a bone broth protein powder plus a plant-based protein made mostly from pumpkin seeds.37 A pea protein smoothie works the same way.

How to choose a pea protein powder

• Organic, with a short ingredient list: organic pea protein plus flavorings you recognize.

• Protein per scoop on the label: so you can count it toward your daily target.

• Little or no added sugar: sweeten at home with fruit or a little raw honey.

• Heavy-metal testing: a maker that publishes lead and cadmium results for each batch; the safety section explains why.

• Added fibers listed: if you're prone to gas, look for inulin or chicory root on the label.

• Easier-to-digest options: powders with added enzymes or probiotics, or made from sprouted sources.

Pea protein side effects & who should be careful

Pea is a legume, and more allergic reactions to peas and other legumes are being reported as they turn up in more packaged foods. Severe reactions have been described for pea in particular, and most legume reactions come from antibodies that cross-react between similar proteins in related legumes, peanut among them.39 In one U.S. case series, six children reacted to foods containing green peas or pea protein, some with anaphylaxis, and three of them also had a peanut allergy.40 A Canadian case series described anaphylaxis in children from pea protein hidden in foods,41 and in 12 children sensitized to peanut, skin and blood tests showed strong reactions to pea extracts as well.42 If peas, other legumes or peanuts have ever caused a reaction for you, follow the guidance below before you buy a tub.

Healthy kidneys handle more protein well. Across 28 randomized trials with 1,358 adults without kidney disease, higher-protein diets didn't change kidney function compared with normal or lower protein.43

Plant protein powders can carry more lead and cadmium, two heavy metals, than dairy powders. In a 2026 analysis of 30 sports protein powders sold in China, plant-based ones averaged 0.18 milligrams of lead and 0.05 milligrams of cadmium per kilogram, against 0.06 and 0.01 for dairy-based ones, and the highest lead reading came from a brown-rice-and-cocoa powder. At 30 grams a day, the combined risk estimate stayed below the level of concern.44 A 2025 analysis of 56 European plant protein powders found no metal above intake limits at 30 grams a day,45 and a third, of 22 protein powders sold in Hungary, found none above regulatory limits, though its authors recommend routine heavy-metal testing as part of quality control.46 Choose a powder from a maker that publishes batch results for lead and cadmium, and keep to a serving or two a day.

If shakes leave you gassy or bloated, the bloating section above has the fixes.

The bottom line

Pea protein: frequently asked questions

References

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2. Guillin FM, Gaudichon C, Guérin-Deremaux L, Lefranc-Millot C, Airinei G, Khodorova N, et al. Real ileal amino acid digestibility of pea protein compared to casein in healthy humans: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;115(2):353-363. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqab354. PMID:34665230
3. Babault N, Païzis C, Deley G, Guérin-Deremaux L, Saniez MH, Lefranc-Millot C, et al. Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12(1):3. doi:10.1186/s12970-014-0064-5. PMID:25628520
4. Singh RG, Guérin-Deremaux L, Lefranc-Millot C, Perreau C, Crowley DC, Lewis ED, et al. Efficacy of Pea Protein Supplementation in Combination with a Resistance Training Program on Muscle Performance in a Sedentary Adult Population: A Randomized, Comparator-Controlled, Parallel Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2024;16(13):2017. doi:10.3390/nu16132017. PMID:38999765
5. Banaszek A, Townsend JR, Bender D, Vantrease WC, Marshall AC, Johnson KD. The Effects of Whey vs. Pea Protein on Physical Adaptations Following 8-Weeks of High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT): A Pilot Study. Sports (Basel). 2019;7(1):12. doi:10.3390/sports7010012. PMID:30621129
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10. Axe J. Burn Fat, Build Muscle, Live a LOT Longer. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe speaking at 17:54–18:15 and 30:43–31:22; YouTube upload titled "Losing Fat & Building Muscle DOUBLES Mitochondria and Increases Longevity," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKpftccZnv4).
11. West S, Monteyne AJ, Whelehan G, van der Heijden I, Abdelrahman DR, Murton AJ, et al. Ingestion of mycoprotein, pea protein, and their blend support comparable postexercise myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in resistance-trained individuals. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2023;325(3):E267-E279. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00166.2023. PMID:37529834
12. Geraedts MC, Troost FJ, Munsters MJ, Stegen JH, de Ridder RJ, Conchillo JM, et al. Intraduodenal administration of intact pea protein effectively reduces food intake in both lean and obese male subjects. PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24878. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024878. PMID:21931864
13. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Peas, split, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (SR Legacy, FDC ID 172429). FoodData Central. Accessed October 4, 2026.
14. Axe J. Top 3 Benefits of Protein (Why You Should Double Your Protein Intake). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe speaking at 23:17–23:28 and 24:52–25:31; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqxwU7KXzNg).
15. Salles J, Gueugneau M, Laleg K, Giraudet C, Sanchez P, Blot A, et al. Circulating Amino Acid Concentration after the Consumption of Pea or Whey Proteins in Young and Older Adults Affects Protein Synthesis in C2C12 Myotubes. Nutrients. 2024;16(17):2870. doi:10.3390/nu16172870. PMID:39275186
16. Abou-Samra R, Keersmaekers L, Brienza D, Mukherjee R, Macé K. Effect of different protein sources on satiation and short-term satiety when consumed as a starter. Nutr J. 2011;10:139. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-10-139. PMID:22196620
17. Sirtori CR, Triolo M, Bosisio R, Bondioli A, Calabresi L, De Vergori V, et al. Hypocholesterolaemic effects of lupin protein and pea protein/fibre combinations in moderately hypercholesterolaemic individuals. Br J Nutr. 2012;107(8):1176-83. doi:10.1017/S0007114511004120. PMID:22032303
18. Thondre PS, Achebe I, Sampson A, Maher T, Guérin-Deremaux L, Lefranc-Millot C, et al. Co-ingestion of NUTRALYS® pea protein and a high-carbohydrate beverage influences the glycaemic, insulinaemic, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) responses: preliminary results of a randomised controlled trial. Eur J Nutr. 2021;60(6):3085-3093. doi:10.1007/s00394-021-02481-8. PMID:33515092
19. Thondre PS, Young E, Pledger S, Kefyalew S, Hatami I, Perreau C, et al. A randomized controlled trial in healthy participants to compare the insulinogenic effects of whey protein and pea protein co-ingested with glucose. PLoS One. 2026;21(1):e0340386. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0340386. PMID:41615946
20. Mollard RC, Luhovyy BL, Smith C, Anderson GH. Acute effects of pea protein and hull fibre alone and combined on blood glucose, appetite, and food intake in healthy young men--a randomized crossover trial. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2014;39(12):1360-5. doi:10.1139/apnm-2014-0170. PMID:25302637
21. Hawley AL, Gbur E, Tacinelli AM, Walker S, Murphy A, Burgess R, et al. The Short-Term Effect of Whey Compared with Pea Protein on Appetite, Food Intake, and Energy Expenditure in Young and Older Men. Curr Dev Nutr. 2020;4(2):nzaa009. doi:10.1093/cdn/nzaa009. PMID:32072131
22. Rogers LM, Belfield AE, Korzepa M, Gritsas A, Churchward-Venne TA, Breen L. Postprandial plasma aminoacidemia and indices of appetite regulation following pea-rice blend, pea isolate and whey protein ingestion in healthy young adults. Br J Nutr. 2024;132(6):691-700. doi:10.1017/S0007114524001958. PMID:39387207
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24. Loureiro LL, Ferreira TJ, Cahuê FLC, Bittencourt VZ, Valente AP, Pierucci APTR. Comparison of the effects of pea protein and whey protein on the metabolic profile of soccer athletes: a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1210215. doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1210215. PMID:37810915
25. Nieman DC, Zwetsloot KA, Simonson AJ, Hoyle AT, Wang X, Nelson HK, et al. Effects of Whey and Pea Protein Supplementation on Post-Eccentric Exercise Muscle Damage: A Randomized Trial. Nutrients. 2020;12(8):2382. doi:10.3390/nu12082382. PMID:32784847
26. Spoelder M, Koopmans L, Hartman YAW, Bongers CCWG, Schoofs MCA, Eijsvogels TMH, et al. Supplementation with Whey Protein, but Not Pea Protein, Reduces Muscle Damage Following Long-Distance Walking in Older Adults. Nutrients. 2023;15(2):342. doi:10.3390/nu15020342. PMID:36678213
27. Axe J. Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset: The 90-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com protocol. 2026 (p. 13, "What your metabolism runs on" (protein, "the fullness nutrient"); p. 16, Phase 1 (30 g of protein within an hour of waking; a 10-minute walk after the two biggest meals); p. 17, Phase 2 (strength training three times a week); p. 19, day-90 retest of fasting insulin, HbA1c and triglycerides/HDL).
28. Lim MT, Pan BJ, Toh DWK, Sutanto CN, Kim JE. Animal Protein versus Plant Protein in Supporting Lean Mass and Muscle Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2021;13(2):661. doi:10.3390/nu13020661. PMID:33670701
29. Reid-McCann RJ, Brennan SF, Ward NA, Logan D, McKinley MC, McEvoy CT. Effect of Plant Versus Animal Protein on Muscle Mass, Strength, Physical Performance, and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutr Rev. 2025;83(7):e1581-e1603. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuae200. PMID:39813010
30. Bruhwyler J, Carreer F, Demanet E, Jacobs H. Digestive tolerance of inulin-type fructans: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, dose-ranging, randomized study in healthy volunteers. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009;60(2):165-75. doi:10.1080/09637480701625697. PMID:18608562
31. Jäger R, Zaragoza J, Purpura M, Iametti S, Marengo M, Tinsley GM, et al. Probiotic Administration Increases Amino Acid Absorption from Plant Protein: a Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Crossover Study. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2020;12(4):1330-1339. doi:10.1007/s12602-020-09656-5. PMID:32358640
32. Paulussen KJM, Askow AT, Deutz MT, McKenna CF, Garvey SM, Guice JL, et al. Acute Microbial Protease Supplementation Increases Net Postprandial Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations After Pea Protein Ingestion in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Nutr. 2024;154(5):1549-1560. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.03.009. PMID:38467279
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Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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