A widely consumed dietary supplement demonstrates potential in assisting the body to manage detrimental inflammation, thereby lowering the chances of severe complications. This conclusion was reached by researchers at the Salk Institute, who investigated the impact of the amino acid methionine on inflammatory conditions in a mouse model. The findings of their study are featured in the journal Cell Metabolism.
During the trials, methionine provided protection to the animals against wasting, damage to the blood-brain barrier, and mortality following an infection. Surprisingly, the kidneys emerged as playing a pivotal role: the supplement bolstered their filtering capability, leading to a more rapid clearance of pro-inflammatory molecules—cytokines—from the bloodstream. An excess of these cytokines is what typically causes tissue damage.
The scientists observed that this beneficial outcome persisted across other models tested, including sepsis and acute kidney injury. Importantly, methionine did not completely suppress the necessary immune response; rather, it served to keep the inflammation confined within safe boundaries, allowing the body to continue fighting the pathogen unimpeded.
The authors stress that, at this stage, the evidence is strictly limited to animal experimentation. Nonetheless, these results highlight an underestimated connection between dietary intake, renal function, and inflammation control, opening avenues for novel therapeutic strategies targeting severe inflammatory states, ranging from infectious diseases to complications associated with kidney disorders.
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