An amazing discovery of a new mechanism that
enables the body to lose 30% of weight in a week!
Scientists were able to cause a massive weight loss of 30% in laboratory mice in
just one week, by depriving them of the amino acid cysteine.
These findings, published in the journal Nature, open new horizons for
understanding metabolism and its relationship to obesity.
Researchers from New York University's Grossman School of Medicine genetically
modified mice to prevent their production of cysteine, then put them on a diet
completely free of this essential amino acid. The result was
amazing:
rapid weight loss of up to 30% in just 7 days.
The mechanism lies in cysteine's crucial role in the production of "CoA"
or CoA for short, a biomolecule responsible for converting food into energy.
When cysteine levels decreased, CoA levels collapsed, disrupting the cellular
machinery for converting food into energy. As a result, the body resorted to
burning fat stores very quickly to try to meet its energy needs.
We revealed that
low cysteine levels stimulate a complex network of
interconnected biological pathways that lead to rapid fat loss," explains Professor
Evgeny Nodler, one of the study's lead researchers.
He added:
- While our ultimate goal remains to apply
- this knowledge to treat obesity we are currently excited
- about the profound implications of this discovery for our fundamental
understanding of metabolism.".
The researchers warn that these results do not constitute a magic solution for
weight loss, as cystine is found in almost all foods. Depriving the body of
this amino acid may also make it more vulnerable to everyday toxins
including some medications.
The study reveals that fruits
vegetables and legumes contain much lower levels of its precursor cysteine
(the sulfur-containing amino acid methionine), compared to red meat.
This may partly explain the known health benefits of plant-based diets.
The researchers hope to "borrow"
parts of this mechanism to cause similar weight loss in humans without the need
for complete cysteine deprivation. They plan to study the effect of restoring cysteine
production in specific cells or tissues to understand the mechanism more precisely.
The study showed that
when cystine decreases, the main energy system in cells that produces adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) molecules that resemble small batteries that supply cells with
energy is disrupted. At the same time, the body senses this danger and activates
two emergency systems:
- the first tries to repair the cellular defect
- and the second combats the damage resulting
- from the lack of antioxidants.
Surprisingly
these two systems were previously known only in cancer cells, but the study
revealed that they also work in normal cells when there is a cystine deficiency.
What is most exciting is that the two systems work together in an integrated
manner, which leads to increased production of the hormone GDF15
which reduces appetite and increases fat breakdown.
These pioneering discoveries not only provide new insights into
the complex relationship between amino acids and metabolism
but may also pave the way for new strategies to combat obesity
and metabolic diseases in the future.