Scientists in the United States have discovered a new biological “switch” that could help in weight loss and improve the body’s metabolism. The research focuses on the amino acid cysteine, showing that when its level becomes low, the body starts changing white fat into brown fat.

White fat is the type of fat that stores energy in the body, while brown fat burns calories and produces heat. This process of turning white fat into brown fat can make the body’s metabolic functions more efficient, helping in faster weight loss.

The researchers explained that earlier studies had only suggested cysteine may play a role in fat activity, but this is the first direct evidence showing its importance. They believe this discovery could open a new pathway for developing future obesity treatments.

Dr Stadler, who directs the Oxidative Stress and Disease laboratory at Pennington Biomedical, said, “In addition to the dramatic weight loss and increase in fat burning resulting from the removal of cysteine, the amino acid is also central to redox balance and redox pathways in biology. These results suggest future weight management strategies that might not rely exclusively on reducing caloric intake.”

The findings were based on both human and animal trials. For the human part, researchers collected fat tissue samples from participants who had restricted their calorie intake for one year. They then studied thousands of metabolites, which are small compounds created when the body breaks down food and stores energy. They found that the level of cysteine was lower in these samples.

Dr Ravussin, who holds the Douglas L Gordon Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism at Pennington Biomedical and oversees its Human Translation Physiology Lab, said, “Reverse translation of a human caloric restriction trial identified a new player in energy metabolism. Systemic cysteine depletion in mice causes weight loss with increased fat utilisation and browning of adipocytes.”

The study has been published in Nature Metabolism, a leading scientific journal.

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