wie wird eiweiß verdaut — which blood markers matter?

Protein digestion starts in the stomach with pepsin and continues in the small intestine via pancreatic enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin) and aminopeptidases. Blood markers that can indirectly reflect protein utilization include: albumin and prealbumin (visceral protein status), blood urea nitrogen (nitrogen balance), creatinine (muscle mass), and plasma amino acid profiles. However, these markers do not directly measure digestive efficiency but rather overall protein metabolism. Low albumin may indicate malnutrition or chronic inflammation, not necessarily impaired digestion. Specific genetic tests for digestive enzymes (e.g., pepsinogen, trypsinogen) are not clinically validated and are not offered by consumer tests like MyBody-X. The evidence for using these blood markers to assess protein digestion is weak; they are more suitable for general nutritional and health assessment. Caveat: Without clinical symptoms or medical indication, such tests are not recommended.