A new study published by Cell Metabolism found that mice fed a low isoleucine food diet lived for a longer time period and showed signs of slower aging. Scientists are using the data to see if a low isoleucine diet can be used to improve the health and longevity of humans.
Amino acids are small molecules that help the body to make proteins. Isoleucine is one of the 20 different amino acids that are essential for the body to function properly. It’s responsible for the production of hemoglobin and can help to regulate blood glucose, according to Cleveland Clinic. Isoleucine can be found in foods like eggs, dairy and beef.
According to Science Alert, during the study, a genetically diverse group of 6-month-old mice (equivalent to 30-year-old people) were split into three groups and fed different diets. The control group was fed a diet containing all 20 amino acids. The second group was fed a diet designed to cut down on two-thirds of amino acids. The third group consumed a diet where isoleucine was reduced by the same amount. All of the mice were allowed to eat freely, but only from their designated food group.
After the experiment was complete, scientists discovered that the male mice fed a restricted diet of isoleucine increased their lifespan and healthspan by 33%. The female mice of the group had a 7% increase.
All of the mice in the third group showed signs of reduced bone frailty, better endurance and stable blood sugar levels. Some of the male mice were able to reduce their risk of developing certain cancers, such as prostate cancer, by consuming the unique dietary restriction.
Interestingly, scientists noticed that the mice in this group consumed more calories under the special food regimen. However, they were able to burn more calories and maintain a leaner body weight than other groups.
“Previous research has shown lifespan increase with low-calorie and low-protein or low-amino-acid diets starting in very young mice,” Dudley Lamming, a researcher behind the study, told the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“We started with mice that were already getting older. 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.”
Lamming hopes that a low isoleucine diet can be used to help improve the health and longevity of humans in the near future, but more research is needed.
“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,” Lamming added.
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