Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) supplements promote longevity in middle-aged mice

Branched-Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) supplements promote longevity in middle-aged laboratory mice according to the article published in October's Cell Metabolism.

BCAA includes leucine, isoleucine and valine. All three are essential amino acids, which means that our body cannot synthesize them and therefore must be taken in through our diet.

Consuming BCAA supplements is different from consuming proteins containing these three amino acids, as the former enters directly into the blood stream and the latter needs to be digested first.

BCAA are already marketed for human consumption. I would think that it is safe for older males who show signs of sarcopenia. However, one must be careful about the balance of things. Previous studies have shown that protein and methionine restriction increase maximum longevity in rodents, whereas neither carbohydrate nor lipid restriction seem to change rodent longevity.

Additional note regarding this research is that data was compiled on male mice only.

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