A recent study by scientists has shown that limited consumption of a certain amino acid slows down the aging process, as a result of which life can be significantly extended. True, the study was conducted on mice, but scientists believe that limited consumption of this amino acid will have the same effect in humans. We are talking about isoleucine – one of the essential amino acids that our body uses to build proteins. Since our cells are not able to produce this amino acid “from scratch,” the body obtains it from foods. But it appears that large amounts of this amino acid are harmful.
Limiting your intake of just one amino acid may significantly extend your life. Photo source: healthy-food.rf
Amino acid that accelerates aging
It has long been known that from food we get not only calories, but also microelements necessary for life. This means that diet affects health and even life expectancy. However, exactly how and what substances affect life expectancy is still unknown. In a recent study, scientists decided to focus their attention on the amino acid isoleucine.
The fact is that even earlier it was discovered that isoleucine and its level in the diet has a serious impact on people's health. For example, one study found that the level of isoleucine consumed by a person affects metabolism. People with a high body mass index tend to consume much more of this amino acid than those who are thin. It is also known that metabolism, in turn, affects life expectancy — the faster it proceeds, the faster the body ages.
How to extend life with the right diet
In a recent study, scientists used genetically different mice, which were divided into three groups. One group was fed foods that contained 20 different amino acids, the second group received food with a two-thirds reduction in the same amino acids. The third group received all these amino acids in full, with the exception of isoleucine, which was also reduced by two thirds.
Scientists have long discovered a connection between isoleucine consumption and body weight. Photo source: www.rbc.ru
All mice were about six months old at the start of the study, which is equivalent to 30 years of age for a human. All rodents were not restricted in their diet – they could eat as much as they wanted, but only the food that was provided within their group.
As shown by the results of a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, isoleucine restriction increased life expectancy by up to 33%, although only in males. In females this figure increased by 7%. In addition, such a diet had a positive effect on the health of mice and their body weight. They did not gain excess weight and had higher levels of muscle strength and endurance. In addition, a number of other health indicators were also better than in those mice that consumed a lot of this amino acid. For example, indicators such as blood sugar levels, hair loss, tail use, etc. were better.
Mice that consumed less isoleucine lived longer and felt healthier. Photo source: skolko-stoyat.ru)
Another interesting feature that scientists discovered is that mice fed a diet low in isoleucine consumed more calories than others, despite remaining leaner. Instead of gaining weight, they burned more energy, allowing them to maintain a normal body weight. However, the level of their activity remained practically unchanged.
Which foods contain an amino acid that accelerates aging
Scientists believe that limiting isoleucine in humans through diet or pharmaceuticals can lead to the same effect as in mice, that is, it will slow down aging. As mentioned above, our body itself does not produce this amino acid, so it receives it from sources such as meat, eggs, dairy products, and soy protein.
However, it should be borne in mind that you cannot completely abandon these products. It has long been known that limiting protein intake in general has negative effects on the body in both mice and humans. Therefore, it is much more difficult to use the results of this study in practice. The most effective way can only be to reduce the consumption of foods that contain large amounts of protein.
You can limit your intake of isoleucine by reducing the amount of protein in your diet.
Scientists also suggest that different mice may require more “fine-tuning” of the amino acid content in foods. In this case, the effect of the diet will be even greater. In the experiment, the amino acid content for all mice within one group was the same. In general, the results obtained bring scientists closer to understanding biological processes. However, it is still necessary to find out why isoleucine and its content in foods have such an effect. In the future, this knowledge can be applied in practice.
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Finally, let us remind you that life expectancy is also greatly influenced by intestinal microflora. We previously told you that in long-livers it differs from the microbiome of other people. However, it should be borne in mind that diet also affects intestinal bacteria.