Fermented Plant Based Amino Acids Supplements: The difference!

For upon |In any serious conversation about fitness, BCAAs or branched-chain amino acids will inevitably pop up, and rightly so. Three essential amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine, and valine, make up what is generally referred to as BCAAs. The latter are “essential” because the human body cannot synthesize them and must therefore obtain them from foods or through supplementation. They are also different from other essential amino acids in the sense that they are the only three whose molecular structure is “branched.” But what does this mean, practically speaking, and why are they so popular throughout the fitness world?

Simply put, BCAAs represent a large proportion of the body’s total supply of amino acids. They make up approximately 35-40% of the body’s essential amino acids, as well as about 14-18% of all amino acids within muscles. A significant number of studies have, so far, found that BCAAs can enhance athletic performance in the following ways:

• They serve as the building blocks for protein and, thus, for muscle growth,
• They help prolong training sessions by reducing fatigue,
• They ameliorate muscle soreness, and
• They encourage weight loss.

For these reasons, BCAAs have become increasingly popular among athletes, while BCAAs supplements became an impressive, lucrative industry. Recently, however, certain disconcerting details about this industry, having to do mainly with the raw materials being used, have been brought to the attention of the consumer. This resulted, on the one hand, in the fact that traditional BCAAs supplements were no longer viewed as reliable or trustworthy. On the other hand, it also brought about the “fermentation” revolution, which came with a new means to obtain BCAAs and an overall significant increase in the quality of supplements, such as the combination of plant-based fermented BCCA’s and EAA’s in Amino-XS from DNA Lean.

The Difference in Raw Materials

Perhaps the most significant discovery about traditionally-extracted BCAAs had to do with the raw materials used in their production. Indeed, after the 2000s, it became apparent that supplement manufacturers employed inferior sources in their products, including animal hair and skin, feathers (especially duck feathers), as well as human hair. There were two main reasons why these waste materials were used. First, they were known to be high in keratin, a fibrous protein that could easily be broken into its component amino acids, and second, they were particularly cheap. They were not and are not particularly attractive for the consumer, however, which easily explains why their use was kept secret for some time.

This is also one of the chief differences between traditionally-extracted BCAAs and fermented plant based amino acid supplements. Unlike their counterparts, fermented BCAAs are commonly made from corn, sugar cane, or, more rarely, from soy. They are, as their name suggests, plant-based products, which makes them not only vegetarian and vegan-friendly, but also far more sustainable in the long run. The question arises, of course, whether fermented BCAAs are made from GMO crops, and the answer can vary depending on the producer. As expected, however, the highest quality plant-based BCAAs result only from the fermentation of organic materials.

The Difference in Extraction Processes

Another key difference between traditional and fermented BCAAs lies in the extraction process. In the case of “generic” BCAAs, supplement manufacturers treat waste animal materials with a myriad of acids to facilitate the breaking down of keratin. The resulting mix is then cleansed of corrosive substances and rendered “safe” for human consumption through additional chemicals. Only afterwards are amino acids extracted from the chemically-reduced, artificially purified compound. They are then flavoured, coloured and given an attractive packaging.

Fermented BCAAs are extracted in a healthier, less complicated and chemically-ridden manner. As the name suggests, the process essentially involves the cultivation of the right bacteria, which can then dissolve and transform organic, allergen free plant-based substances into amino acids. This eliminates any shady animal by-product, the oxidation otherwise carried out under tremendous heat, as well as many harmful chemicals. Albeit slightly more expensive, this method of extraction is identical to the way in which our digestive system naturally renders food into essential nutrients.

The Quality of the End Product

The concept of fermented BCAAs eliminates the need for disreputable animal leftovers when making supplements. Through this method, companies do not have to rely on third-party suppliers of animal waste. In addition, they can use the process of extraction as a competitive advantage by telling customers precisely what they buy and exactly what it’s made of. Most importantly, the quality of the end product is significantly improved in fermented BCAAs, and this is due to the raw material that is used, as well as the extraction process itself.

By leaving out industrial chemicals and artificial cleansers, nutritional supplement look to nature for inspiration in their manufacture of products. Both in the natural environment, as well as within the human body (even as you read this), raw substances are converted by bacteria into amino acids. This is nature’s way of building things, through beneficial bacteria whose genetic purpose is to deconstruct macro-nutrients into compounds usable by the human metabolism. As a result, consumers have reported:

• Fewer side-effects when supplementing with fermented BCAAs, including less anxiety and mood swings,
• Increased recovery,
• Better muscle efficiency during training, and
• Increased growth post-training.

It makes sense that an active body would respond better to a pure, plant-based, naturally derived supplement, as there are no synthetic compounds that need to be decomposed in the gut before the metabolism can actually use those BCAAs.

While certain supplement companies offer attractive deals on their most important products by cutting production costs through the use of cut-rate raw materials in the form of animal waste, fermented BCAAs represent the healthy, natural alternative, with a minimal increase in price due to better methods of extraction and raw materials, but an improved overall efficiency.

References:

1. An overview on the BCAAs content of the healthy human body: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12730426
2. A study on BCAAs as the building blocks of protein and muscle: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16365087
3. BCAAs and fatigue during exercise: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9124069
4. On BCAAs and the amelioration of muscle soreness: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24967261
5. BCAAs and weight loss: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21169225
6. An overview of natural protein fermentation and the extraction of amino acids within the body: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22325238
7. An review of amino acids production through fermentation, with focus on benefits and future uses: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28888551
8. A study of the better digestibility of fermented protein and amino acids: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jfq/2018/3964392/

An overview of the general benefits of fermented foods: https://isappscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Marco-health-benefits-fermented-foods-ISAPP-rev-17.pdf