A new study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has found that eating less of one specific nutrient—called isoleucine—might help people live longer and stay healthier.
This discovery was made by a team of researchers led by Professor Dudley Lamming and was published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Isoleucine is an amino acid, which means it’s one of the building blocks your body needs to grow and stay healthy. It’s found in many common foods like eggs, meat, dairy products, and soy protein. While isoleucine is essential, this study found that cutting back on it might have benefits.
The researchers tested this idea on mice. Mice that were fed a diet low in isoleucine lived longer and healthier lives. Male mice lived 33% longer, and female mice lived 7% longer. The mice also showed signs of better overall health as they aged.
One interesting thing is that the mice on the low-isoleucine diet actually ate more food—but they stayed lean and didn’t gain extra weight. Their bodies adjusted their metabolism to use energy more efficiently. The male mice also had fewer prostate problems as they got older, and both males and females had steadier blood sugar levels.
Another benefit? These mice were less likely to develop tumors, suggesting that a low-isoleucine diet could also help reduce cancer risk.
What does this mean for humans? It’s still early to say. People need isoleucine to stay healthy, so it’s not as simple as cutting it out completely. It’s also hard to change diets in a way that lowers only this one amino acid.
Still, this study gives researchers new ideas for future treatments. For example, medicines could be developed to block isoleucine in a safe way. Lamming also pointed out that people who eat healthier, plant-based diets often eat less isoleucine naturally, which might help explain why they tend to be leaner.
More studies are needed to figure out exactly how isoleucine affects the body and how we might use this information to help people live longer and healthier lives.
If you care about health, please read studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and vitamin D supplements strongly reduce cancer death.
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