Cysteine for Gut Health

The science behind the treatments of tomorrow lies with basic research today. There have been a couple of studies published recently that use building blocks of food to treat specific conditions. Let’s take a look at the first one today.

Researchers at MIT conducted a study to see if a specific amino acid could help the digestive system recover after damage due to radiation therapy for cancer. They tested 20 amino acids and found that cysteine stimulated the healing process in mice. They found that a high-cysteine diet increased the production of intestinal stem cells. While the actual biochemical process is very complex, it’s ready for human trials.

Why so quickly? Cysteine is a natural substance the body needs. Putting people on a high-cysteine diet for a time would provide no harm and may provide a boost to gut repair. In looking at the references, this approach is also being looked at for people with Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

How do you get a high-cysteine diet? Meat, dairy, legumes, and nuts are all high in cysteine, and it’s also available as a dietary supplement. If you have such issues, talk with your physician about giving the diet a try to see if it will help. Zeaxanthin is the next nutrient we’ll look at on Saturday.

Tomorrow night is the Insider Conference Call. I’m going to be answering Insider questions as well as discussing a couple of success stories for people who used GLP-1 RA to lose weight. Become an Insider by 8 p.m. tomorrow night and you can join us.

What are you prepared to do today?