Fermented Whey Protein with Oligosaccharides for Sleep and Muscle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current nutritional products do not effectively enhance sleep quality, athletic performance, and muscle building, particularly due to limitations in delivering tryptophan and cysteine, and often result in undesirable taste and lactose content.
Innovation Solution
A process involving fermentation of whey protein with lactic acid bacteria and yeast in the presence of non-digestible oligosaccharides, such as fructo- and galacto-oligosaccharides, to create a high-protein, low-lactose nutritional product that enhances the bioavailability of tryptophan and cysteine, improves taste, and reduces lactose consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If whey protein is used as a protein source to provide tryptophan and cysteine, then sleep quality and muscle building are improved, but lactose content increases causing undesirable taste and digestive issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the protein source through fermentation, which alters the chemical composition and reduces lactose content while maintaining or enhancing the bioavailability of tryptophan and cysteine. The fermentation process changes the physical and chemical parameters of the whey protein, creating a low-lactose product that retains its functional properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses fermentation as an intermediary process between the raw whey protein and the final nutritional product. This intermediary step (fermentation) serves to reduce lactose content and improve digestibility while preserving the beneficial amino acid profile, thus mediating between the conflicting requirements of high protein content and low lactose content.
2Reliability
If conventional nutritional products are used to enhance sleep quality, then tryptophan and cysteine are provided, but bioavailability is limited and taste is undesirable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using fermentation to modify the protein structure and improve bioavailability. The fermentation process changes the chemical parameters of the protein, breaking it down into more absorbable forms while maintaining the essential amino acids, thus improving manufacturing precision in terms of bioavailability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical mixing or simple formulation with a biological fermentation process. This substitution uses microbial activity to achieve better bioavailability and taste, replacing what would otherwise require complex mechanical processing or multiple purification steps.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additional purification steps are used to reduce lactose content, then lactose consumption is reduced, but product complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fermentation as an intermediary process that simultaneously achieves multiple objectives: reducing lactose content, improving protein bioavailability, and enhancing taste. This single intermediary step replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate purification steps, thereby reducing device complexity while achieving the desired lactose reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies multi-functionality by using the fermentation process to achieve multiple goals simultaneously: lactose reduction, protein modification for improved bioavailability, and taste enhancement. This universal approach consolidates multiple functions into a single process step, reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting product improves sleep quality, athletic performance, and muscle building by increasing the bioavailability of tryptophan and cysteine, while offering a pleasant taste and reduced lactose content, making it suitable for human consumption without additional purification steps.
Implementation Method 1
A process involving fermentation of whey protein with lactic acid bacteria and yeast in the presence of non-digestible oligosaccharides
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a process for producing a nutritional product comprising fermented whey protein by subjecting an aqueous medium comprising non-digestible oligosaccharides and either whey protein concentrate (WPC) or whey protein isolate (WPI) to at least one strain of lactic acid bacteria and optionally yeast. Compared to acidified whey protein drinks, a drink based on fermented whey has a better taste due to the broader acid spectrum and does not need separate acid addition for obtaining an ambient stable product.