Scientists at the University of Wisconsin have made a surprising discovery: eating less of a certain nutrient called isoleucine could help people stay healthier as they age—and might even help them live longer.
The research, led by Professor Dudley Lamming and published in the journal Cell Metabolism, was done on mice, but the findings may offer clues for improving human health too.
Isoleucine is a type of amino acid, which is one of the building blocks of protein. It’s called an essential amino acid because our bodies can’t make it—we have to get it from food. Isoleucine is found in many high-protein foods like eggs, dairy products, meat, and soy.
Since we all need amino acids to survive, the idea of eating less of one might sound strange. But this study shows that cutting back on just this one amino acid—without removing it completely—could have big health benefits.
In the study, researchers fed some mice a diet that had less isoleucine than usual, while other mice ate a normal diet. The results were surprising. The mice with less isoleucine lived longer and stayed healthier.
Male mice on the low-isoleucine diet lived 33% longer, and female mice lived 7% longer. These mice also didn’t gain as much weight, even though they ate more food than the others. Their bodies simply processed calories in a healthier way.
The benefits didn’t stop there. Mice with lower isoleucine had steadier blood sugar levels, which is important for avoiding diabetes. Male mice also had less prostate enlargement, a common issue as animals (and people) get older. The researchers also saw fewer tumors in these mice, suggesting a lower cancer risk.
So what does this mean for humans? It’s too early to say for sure, because people and mice are not exactly the same.
Humans need isoleucine, so we can’t just cut it out of our diets. But we can start thinking about how to reduce it slightly in a safe way. That could mean eating less of certain animal proteins and more plant-based foods that naturally have lower levels of isoleucine.
Interestingly, when the researchers looked at data from a health survey in Wisconsin, they found that people who were leaner tended to eat diets that were lower in isoleucine. This adds more support to the idea that a slight reduction in isoleucine might help people manage their weight and stay healthier as they age.
In the future, this research could lead to new kinds of treatments or diet advice. Instead of asking people to completely change what they eat, scientists might develop drugs that adjust how the body uses isoleucine. But for now, more studies are needed to understand how this works and to make sure it’s safe for people.
This study is a reminder that sometimes, small changes in what we eat can have a big impact on our health. Learning how to balance nutrients like isoleucine could open up new ways to prevent age-related diseases and help us live longer, healthier lives.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about why vitamin K is so important for older people, and this snack food may harm your heart rhythm.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin that may protect you from type 2 diabetes, and results showing this common chemical in food may harm your blood pressure.
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