Posted on 03/25/2024 1:09:47 PM PDT by Red Badger
Research in mice shows limited intakes of one particular essential amino acid can slow the impacts of aging and even lengthen their lifespan.
Scientists are now wondering if these findings could help people improve their longevity and quality of life.
Isoleucine is one of three branched-chain amino acids we use to build proteins in our bodies. It is essential for our survival, but since our cells can't produce it from scratch, we have to get it from sources like eggs, dairy, soy protein and meats.
But there can always be too much of a good thing. Earlier research using data from a 2016-2017 survey of Wisconsin residents had found dietary isoleucine levels were linked with metabolic health and that people with higher BMIs were generally consuming much greater quantities of the amino acid.
"Different components of your diet have value and impact beyond their function as a calorie, and we've been digging in on one component that many people may be eating too much of," metabolism researcher Dudley Lamming from the University of Wisconsin, US, who was involved in both studies, explained in November when the new findings were published.
"It's interesting and encouraging to think a dietary change could still make such a big difference in lifespan and what we call 'healthspan,' even when it started closer to mid-life."
In the most recent study, a genetically diverse group of mice was fed either a diet containing 20 common amino acids as a control, a diet where all amino acids were reduced by about two-thirds, or a diet where only isoleucine was reduced by the same amount.
The mice were around six months old at the start of the study, which is the equivalent age of a 30-year-old person. They could eat as much as they wanted, but only from the specific kind of food provided to their group.
Restricting dietary isoleucine increased the lifespan and healthspan of the mice, reduced their frailty, and promoted leanness and glycemic control. Male mice had their lifespans increased 33 percent compared to those whose isoleucine was not restricted, and females had a 7 percent increase.
These mice also scored better in 26 measures of health, including muscle strength, endurance, blood sugar levels, tail use, and hair loss.
The male mice in this group had less age-related prostate enlargement, and were less likely to develop the cancerous tumors that are common in the diverse mice strains.
Curiously, the mice given low isoleucine food also ate significantly more calories than the others. But rather than gaining weight, they actually burned more energy and maintained leaner body weights, even though their activity levels were no different.
Graphical abstract shows dietary isoleucine was restricted by 67%, charts showing blood glucose and body weight declining over time / age respectively, reduced frailty and cancer, increased lifespan (survival improved by 33 percent)
A visual summary of the impact the reduced isoleucine diet had on mice in the study. (Green et al., Cell Metabolism, 2023)
The researchers think restricting isoleucine in humans, either by diet or pharmaceutical means, has the potential to yield similar anti-aging effects - although, as with all mice studies, we won't know for sure until it's actually tested in humans.
This is easier said than done. Although the food provided to the mice was controlled, the researchers noted that diet is an incredibly complex chemical reaction, and there may be other dietary components involved in producing these results.
Restricting protein intake in general, for instance, has detrimental effects on the body, mouse or human. Translating this research for real-world human use is more complicated than just reducing intake of high-protein foods, even though this is the simplest way to limit isoleucine intake.
The amino acid restriction level was constant in all experiments, and they acknowledge that more fine-tuning may be required for optimum effects across different mice strains and sexes – when it comes to diet, one size does not fit all.
"We can't just switch everyone to a low-isoleucine diet," Lamming said.
"But narrowing these benefits down to a single amino acid gets us closer to understanding the biological processes and maybe potential interventions for humans, like an isoleucine-blocking drug."
The research was published in Cell Metabolism.
An earlier version of this article was published in November 2023.
You can find isoleucine-rich foods in:
Lamb, Veal, and Game Products
Beef Products
Dairy and Egg Products
Legumes and Legume Products
Poultry Products
Nuts and Seeds
With the exception of the legumes, nuts, and seeds - I wouldn’t expect mice to be eating most of this type of stuff anyway, so it makes sense too much is a bad thing for them.
This is awesome... If you’re a mouse.
A thousand years from now, space aliens will land on our planet and discover a race of super mice.................
Just combine a low isoleucine diet with steroids. Win win…
Smells like BS to me.
I remember when an article came out a few years ago saying that L-Carnitine causes cancer. Guess what has the most L-Carnitien? Beef
Were the rats given a natural diet, like they’d typically have in their normal environment, and then had isoleucine restricted? I highly highly doubt it. So, was there truly a control comparisson?
Also, look at that list. Animal products. Flesh, dairy, eggs and high protein vegetables. Well???? Guess what animno acids are. Protein!!! So ofcourse the list of foods high in isoleucine are high-protein foods!
It’s all more anti-meat propaganda, I strongly suspect.
Why didn’t they suggest eating insects is bad? Ooops
We really need to create a whole new Department of Nutrition. They can create meals that have the exact right amount of each nutritional element to keep us all as healthy as possible.
They could then come up with some sort of coupon system where we can bring our coupons to distribution centers and receive our weekly allotment of perfectly nutritious foods.
Why this isn't already the case is a complete travesty.
You vill eat bugs und like it.
You are not a MOUSE.
Therefore, you should take Ivermectin. …. LOL
El Camino acid destroys cars
Carnivores such as tigers, leopards, hyenas have strong bodies, but live lot less years than herbivores such as elephants, turtles.
All one has to do is open eyes and use the brain to observe.
Enough departments of anything. Bureaucracies are cancers in and of themselves.
Great news!!! If you’re a mouse.
What about beer?
“...eggs, dairy, soy protein and meats....”
Eat bugs-—eat BUGS....damn it-—EAT BUGS!!!!!
It starts of with those who have a high BMI, fat people do consume too much, they could have stopped here. No fat residents at the old folks home.
You have to die of something. Once I pass age 80, I’m going to eat what I want.
They are always looking to sell us another drug.
What do you want to bet that the drug to that reduces isolieucine in your system will have a really bad side effect like death.
"If you don't want anything bad to happen to you then you will take the Don's advice, capiche?"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.