A new study from Joslin Diabetes Center suggests that adding leucine—an amino acid found in protein—may help improve insulin sensitivity and ease symptoms of pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Published in PLOS ONE, the research involved mice fed a high-fat diet. Those given double the normal intake of leucine showed lower blood sugar levels and reduced liver fat. Both are key markers of insulin resistance and indicators of metabolic syndrome.
“The mice didn’t lose weight, but they handled glucose much better,” said Dr. C. Ronald Kahn, lead researcher and head of Joslin’s Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism. Kahn also serves as the Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
“Their glucose tolerance improved. Their bodies responded better to insulin. They were able to process sugar and fat more effectively,” he said. “In short, leucine improved their pre-diabetic condition and eased features of metabolic syndrome.”
The researchers worked with scientists from Metabolon Inc., a North Carolina-based biotechnology firm.
Mice on a normal diet who also received leucine did not show noticeable changes, indicating the amino acid’s effects may be more significant in those with pre-existing metabolic issues.
According to Dr. Kahn, the goal was to test how a small dietary change—specifically one added nutrient—might affect animals with signs of pre-diabetes or metabolic dysfunction.
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