Cutting Back on One Amino Acid Increases Lifespan in Middle-Aged Mice Up to 33%

[eppur_se_muova]

Last edited Wed Jan 8, 2025, 08:51 AM - Edit history (2)

Health
07 December 2024
By Jess Cockerill

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.
***
more: https://www.sciencealert.com/cutting-back-on-one-amino-acid-increases-lifespan-in-middle-aged-mice-up-to-33


An earlier version of this article was published in November 2023.


ETA: Isoleucine is not just a building block for proteins; it plays some surprisingly significant roles in regulation of the pancreas, and consequently control of blood sugar levels. There are several diseases associated with improper metabolism of isoleucine, and some similar amino acids as well. Check out the wikipedia entry for isoleucine, especially these sections:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoleucine#Metabolic_diseases
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoleucine#Insulin_resistance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoleucine#Functions_and_requirement

A further search for foods either rich or poor in isoleucine shows the situation is complicated. It would be very hard, apparently, to avoid isoleucine without extensive dietary planning.

[Woodycall]

1. So, be afraid, very afraid??

Link doesn't work either.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Just fix it, go beyond complaining. It's really simple and obvious in this case. (Interesting study)

Here it is fixed:

https://www.sciencealert.com/cutting-back-on-one-amino-acid-increases-lifespan-in-middle-aged-mice-up-to-33

[eppur_se_muova]

12. Fixed.

Must have had the insertion point in the wrong place.

I hold the cat responsible; it's often true.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Interesting study. But are the researchers or article shills?

Are they shills for big pharma? Every drug has side effects.

The researchers think restricting isoleucine in humans, either by diet or pharmaceutical means, has the potential to yield similar anti-aging effects
[...]
"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."

[Old Crank]

5. Hard to say.

Right now they say they don't know if the effect transfers well to humans. Humans are hard to do tests on, ethically.
Because of that the use of a blocking drug may turn out to be a good option.
There may be a mechanism that we don't know about that for most people controls the amino acid use better than in others.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Thing is, Americans jump to pharaceuticals for many things that can be resolved by proper nutrition

Like Ozempic et al.

Eating habits are complex, but too many people look for quick fixes and tech and bandaid solutions and then get flummoxed when they stop working after a while or there are side effects.

It's a complex subject, but fundamentally, poor nutrition makes people hungry and they eat more because the body is craving proper nutrition. And they eat "comfort food" (which doesn't help) because they feel less than tip-top because of reduced nutrition. That includes indulging in those high protein foods high in leucine

This study also illuminates why fad diets like "paleo" are often harmful.

[Unladen Swallow]

7. Paleo is harmful?!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Yes, and it is much adored by red hatters. Though current scientific thinking has uncovered an opposite configuration

The maga concept of paleo (not restricted to maga of course) is that "cavemen" (and by extension themselves) ate almost entirely meat or dairy (like cheese). A day or two ago I read that there is a current of scientific thinking on the topic that figures that our recent and distant ancestors ate mostly vegetarian and meat was not rare but not common either. Ironic.

But yes, paleo is a fad diet and harmful even if only because it is extreme and not diverse. Part of the reason for diversity is diversity of absorptive processes in the digestive system, so diverse intake promotes nutrient absorption. But as we all know, maga hates diversity with a passion.

This does not even get into questions of arteriosclerosis and inflammation on the brain (ischemic events and mini-strokes), heart, kidneys, and other vital organs.

Paleo wannabe cavepeople surely fall in the all-amino-acids group and not the reduced isoleucine group. In fact they would probably be in an elevated isoleucine group, with concommitant deleterious effects.

[Unladen Swallow]

10. Hm

I've eaten "paleo" since 2011 and "mostly meat and veg" since 2019 and I've never felt better in my life.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. Blithely carry on if it suits you. . . . . nt

[Old Crank]

4. The more we know

the more we know we don't know.

It is interesting how research findings give more questions. They don't recommend any action yet, which makes sense. But I wonder if some foods have lower amounts of the specific amino acid than others so people wouldn't all need a protien resticted diet covering all protien sources.

[Think. Again.]

8. According to the initial list of "eggs, dairy, soy protein, and meats"...

...it seems maybe a vegan diet is a good idea to start with.

[Old Crank]

13. My wife was looking a health data from various types of diets

Vegan has its own set of problems. Survey from a major health research group, don't remember who.
Humans are omnivores. We need to have more balance in our diets. Probably less protein than we eat now. Now going vegan because you don't like the way animals are treated in the modern world food industry is something I can get behind.