Scientists at the University of Southern Denmark have discovered that mice on a diet low in the amino acids methionine and cysteine burned significantly more energy, nearly matching the effects of constant cold exposure. The research suggests that altering diet composition, not temperature, can trigger thermogenesis and lead to weight loss.
By tweaking just two amino acids in the diet, researchers found a way to mimic the fat-burning effects of cold exposure.
Shivering in the cold is hardly enjoyable, yet for some people, it carries an appealing side effect—the body uses more energy to stay warm than it does in comfortable temperatures. Multiple studies have shown that cold exposure reliably increases energy expenditure in both humans and mice. This natural process of generating heat by burning energy is known as thermogenesis.
Scientists and pharmaceutical companies have long been searching for ways to activate this same mechanism without actually lowering body temperature, essentially “tricking” the body into feeling cold to promote fat burning.
Instead of focusing on temperature, obesity researchers Philip Ruppert and Jan-Wilhelm Kornfeld from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Southern Denmark explored a different approach: stimulating thermogenesis through diet.
Their work centered on two amino acids, methionine and cysteine.
