> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Branched-chain amino acids may prevent diabetes mellitus, obesity - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/branched-chain_amino_acids_diabetes_mellitus_1013140644/ - Published: 2014-10-13T06:41:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T16:01:54.000Z - Description: A Japanese cohort of 13,525 residents linked high branched-chain amino acid intake, as a share of total protein, to 43 percent lower diabetes risk. A separate study of 4,429 adults tied the highest BCAA intake to 30 percent lower overweight risk. Neither proved cause. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Supplements, Nutrition, #vivvo-import Monday Oct 13, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A Japanese study 1 suggests that dietary supplementation with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), namely, leucine, isoleucine, and valine may help reduce risk of developing diabetes mellitus. Early studies show potential benefits for the metabolic profile although that higher serum BCAA levels were associated with elevated risk of obesity in children and adolescents and future insulin resistance, according to a study 2 conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In the current study, high intake of BCAAs in percentage of total protein intake was associated with 43% reduced risk of diabetes mellitus in men and women after adjustment for confounders. Also men in the highest tertile of leucine intake were at 30% reduced risk of diabetes mellitus, which was statistically significant. The study was based on data from 13,525 residents of Takayama City, Japan, who participated in a cohort study in 1992 and reported information on diabetes mellitus in 2002. The study concluded "Data suggest that a high intake of BCAAs may be associated with a decrease in the risk of diabetes." Another study 3 conducted by researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill in NC, USA suggests that eating protein high in BCAAs or taking BCAA supplements may help reduce risk of developing obesity and overweight in in middle-aged East Asian and Western adults. In this study, data collected from 4,429 men and women aged 40 to 59 years in China, Japan, the UK and the U.S. showed that those with highest intake of BCAAs were at 30% reduced risk of overweight. And the inverse association was also found between BCAA intake and risk of developing obesity. It should be noted that these studies did not prove that high BCAA intake was the cause of reduced risk of diabetes mellitus and obesity and they only provide a suggestion only. Further studies are needed to confirm the potential benefits. BCAAs are important building blocks for muscle tissue and for that reason, body builders often take BCAA supplements. BCAAs may also be important for older people who lose muscle (sarcopenia) naturally after 30 in a rate of up to 3 to 5% per decade 4 and supplementation with BCAAs may help slow the loss. (David Liu, PHD) References: 1 Nagata C, Nakamura K, Wada K, Tsuji M, Tamai Y, Kawachi T. [Branched-chain amino acid intake and the risk of diabetes in a Japanese community: the Takayama study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24008908?ref=foodconsumer.org). Am J Epidemiol. 2013 Oct 15;178(8):1226-32. 2 McCormack SE, Shaham O, McCarthy MA, Deik AA, Wang TJ, Gerszten RE, Clish CB, Mootha VK, Grinspoon SK, Fleischman A. [Circulating branched-chain amino acid concentrations are associated with obesity and future insulin resistance in children and adolescents](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22961720?ref=foodconsumer.org). Pediatr Obes. 2013 Feb;8(1):52-61. 3 Qin LQ, Xun P, Bujnowski D, Daviglus ML, Van Horn L, Stamler J, He K; INTERMAP Cooperative Research Group. [Higher branched-chain amino acid intake is associated with a lower prevalence of being overweight or obese in middle-aged East Asian and Western adults](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21169225?ref=foodconsumer.org). J Nutr. 2011 Feb;141(2):249-54. 4 Wedmd.com [Sarcopenia With Aging](http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/sarcopenia-with-aging?ref=foodconsumer.org)