People who eat less live longer and healthier lives – many studies point out the positive effect of (intermittent) fasting. However, besides calorie reduction, the quantitative relationship of the individual food components also plays an important role. Scientists at DIfE, a partner of the German Center for Diabetes Research, have now demonstrated in the animal model that the sole restriction of the amino acid methionine prevents the onset of type 2 diabetes. Their results were published in the 'FASEB Journal'.
In earlier studies, the research team of the Department of Experimental Diabetology at the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) had already discovered that mice fed low-protein chow had improved blood glucose levels and higher energy expenditure than animals fed standard chow. The results of the current study show that the sole reduction of a single amino acid in the chow has a positive effect on health. A diet with low amounts of methionine improved the glucose metabolism of the mice and their sensitivity to the hormone insulin. "Interestingly, we observed the beneficial effects of a methionine restricted diet without reducing protein levels and regardless of food intake and body fat," said Dr. Thomas Laeger, head of the project.
Read more at Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung
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