Fermented protein foods as modulators of the gut-muscle axis: mechanisms, evidence, and future directions.

Fermented protein foods may influence skeletal muscle health through gut-muscle axis modulation, but direct evidence on muscle mass and function remains limited.

• Why it matters: Understanding how dietary interventions like fermented protein foods affect muscle health is crucial for developing strategies against aging, metabolic disease, and muscle atrophy.
• What they did: The review synthesizes mechanistic, preclinical, and human studies on fermented protein foods, highlighting the need for more comprehensive research involving microbiome analysis and muscle phenotyping.
• The result: Current evidence suggests potential benefits for metabolic regulation and inflammation, but further targeted studies are necessary to confirm advantages over conventional proteins and microbiome-focused strategies.