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Lab study links taurine to weight loss and could help create a ‘new class of anti-obesity drugs’
Move over, Ozempic. You too, Wegovy. It looks like taurine could be the next best thing in terms of weight loss. Research published on August 7, 2024 in the journal Nature may offer some unexpected answers to the questions What should I eat? ,� When should I eat it? and How does it affect me?
A study identified a new biochemical pathway linking diet to body weight, which hints at the possibility of a new class of anti-obesity drugs, according to a writeup on Phys.org.� We are trying to answer this question in a more concrete way starting with molecules, then pathways, then working our way up to the physiology, says lead author Jonathan Long.
Study finds pathway connecting body weight, genetics, and diet
Scientists working with lab mice found a relationship between the amino acid taurine and a gene called PTER. The significance of the connection lies in the associations other studies have found with taurine and PTER.�
Taurine has been associated with reductions in body weight and improvements in endurance exercise. PTER has also been associated with body weight.�
The possibility of a relationship between the two therefore suggests a bodyweight-regulating metabolic pathway that runs completely separate from the mechanisms of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
What this means for clinicians and those trying to lose weight is that the two approaches could, in theory, be used in tandem with each other to one day provide additional options for weight control in people.
Approaching diet and weight loss from a different angle
Many diet-based studies offer confusing information, says lead author Jonathan Long, an assistant professor of pathology.
For example, there is evidence that lacking a particular protein can make it much harder to lose weight. Meanwhile, a drug that targets a receptor present in a protein that may influence body weight has been shown to improve weight loss in mice �but not humans. And some people argue oats are the weight loss silver bullet we’ve been looking for all along…
“We all want to know, ‘What should I eat? When should I eat it? How does it affect me? Long says. We are trying to answer this question in a more concrete way starting with molecules, then pathways, then working our way up to the physiology.”
The researchers found that after increasing taurine levels in their lab mice, they exhibited reduced food intake, resistance to diet-induced obesity, and improved glucose homeostasis.
In other words, they needed to eat less, were less likely to get fat, and were more able to regulate blood sugar levels. Promising stuff!
How to get taurine in your diet
Taurine is abundant in protein-rich foods like meat and shellfish.
Humans produce most of the taurine they need, according to WebMD. But you can get more by eating scallops, tuna, tilapia, octopus, and turkey. Vegetarians fear not. Seaweed is among the best sources of taurine and can be sprinkled on top of all sorts of meals to give them a boost.
When the researchers gave their lab mice supplementary taurine, the mice had better exercise performance and were better able to lower their body weight.
When they genetically engineered mice to have less taurine, their muscles withered away, and they had a decreased capacity for exercise.
“Taurine does all sorts of stuff in our bodies, Jonathan Long says, and is metabolized in many different ways. It’s a complicated soup.”
Understanding the connection between taurine and the gene PTER is a fundamental advance in understanding how we eat affects our weight and our bodies, Long adds.
Perhaps we could one day have probiotic or dietary interventions that promote the formation of [taurine] to reduce body weight. But much more work needs to be done.”
