Soon, new weapon in war against obesity

A team of scientists has uncovered a potential approach to combat obesity.

Previous studies have shown weight-loss benefits for avoiding foods high in the amino acid methionine, such as beans, nuts, beef, turkey, pork, fish, eggs and dairy.

However, following such a restricted diet for a long time is difficult. Using mice that were obese as a result of a high-fat diet, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers found that just five weeks of methionine deprivation not only led to progressive weight loss and reduced body fat but also corrected high blood sugar levels.

The new findings reveal that short-term avoidance of methionine might be as helpful as long-term deprivation and could be a promising treatment for obesity and related diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Deyang Yu will present this research at the American Physiological Society's annual meeting on April 24.