Study 01 · Protein Uptake
Faster than whey, on measured leucine levels
ProGo® is a highly hydrolysed protein — 97% pure, broken into small peptides that absorb quickly. In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial in healthy young men, ProGo® reached peak blood leucine concentration 15 minutes faster than whey protein. Leucine is the amino acid most closely tied to muscle protein synthesis and to the biological signals involved in feeling full after eating. A separate digestion-simulation study found ProGo® made 67% of its nitrogen available for absorption within two hours — higher than hydrolysed whey protein or whey protein isolate.
Sources: Raastad, Vagle & Framroze (2017), Nutr Food Technol Open Access; Framroze et al. (2014), Functional Foods in Health and Disease.
Study 02 · Weight Management
A measured 5.9% BMI reduction over 42 days
In a 2016 placebo-controlled trial, 48 overweight adults were split into two groups: one took ProGo® (16g/day), the other took whey protein isolate, both alongside their normal diet and exercise routine. After 42 days, 19 of 23 subjects in the ProGo® group showed a significant BMI decrease, averaging 5.9% — roughly 4kg for someone weighing 75kg. The whey protein comparison group saw a small (non-significant) weight gain of 1.6% over the same period. Researchers also observed favorable shifts in metabolism-related biomarkers (adiponectin, lipoprotein lipase, bile acid, and interleukin-6) in the ProGo® group.
Source: Framroze, Vekariya & Swaroop (2016), J Obes Weight Loss Ther 6:296.
Study 03 · Iron & Energy
140% increase in serum ferritin
A separate placebo-controlled trial in iron-deficient adults gave subjects 16g/day of ProGo®. Within 42 days, serum ferritin rose by 140% and haemoglobin by 15%, alongside reported improvements in alertness and energy — without the gastrointestinal side effects (nausea, constipation) common with standard iron supplements. This trial is the basis for ProGo®'s FDA structure/function claims around healthy iron levels and energy utilisation.
Source: Framroze, Vekariya & Swaroop (2015), J Nutr Food Sci 5:379-382.
Study 04 · Glucose Metabolism
Blocking the enzyme that breaks down insulin signals
Researchers at Norway's Nofima Research Institute tested ProGo® in vitro for DPP-IV inhibition — DPP-IV is an enzyme that breaks down the body's own insulin-regulating hormones. Low-molecular-weight peptide fractions of ProGo® showed potent DPP-IV inhibition and direct glucose uptake, with the smallest peptide fractions retaining their effect even at high dilution.
Source: Bjerknes, Wubshet, Rønning, et al. (2024), Marine Drugs 22, 151. Peer-reviewed.
Study 05 · Gut Health
Faster gut recovery in a controlled animal study
In a Stanford-affiliated study, mice with chemically-induced colitis were treated with either water, a collagen peptide, or ProGo®'s soluble protein hydrolysate. The ProGo® group showed significantly better recovery — preserved gut structure, reduced inflammation, and increased antioxidant gene activity — while the collagen peptide group showed no meaningful benefit over water, suggesting a specific bioactive effect rather than generic nutrition.
Source: Wei, Tao, Xu, et al. (2022), Biomolecules 12, 1287. Peer-reviewed.
Preliminary · Laboratory Data
Lab testing on GLP-1, GLP-2 & GIP receptor activity
In a dish, not in the body: contract lab testing (a fluorescent biosensor assay) found that ProGo® activated GLP-1, GLP-2, and GIP receptors in a dose-dependent way — for example, roughly doubling GLP-1 receptor signal at 1mg/ml compared to control. This is real laboratory evidence for a plausible mechanism, but it's an in vitro receptor assay, not a measurement of hormone levels or effects in an actual person, and it hasn't yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. We think the clinical trial data above (BMI, glucose, iron) is the stronger evidence — this section is here for anyone who wants the mechanistic detail behind it.