Energy balance
An 8-week sulfur amino acid restriction (SAAR) diet (~2 g/day) in humans with overweight or obesity produces significantly greater weight loss (~20% greater) compared to a control diet (~5.6 g/day), despite maintaining similar resting metabolic rates.
To lose more weight than standard dietary restriction, try reducing sulfur amino acids (methionine and cysteine) to about 2 grams per day for 8 weeks. This can be done by eating a plant-based diet and avoiding high-sulfur supplements or specific high-sulfur foods, while allowing one flexible meal a week to maintain social life. Expect roughly 20% more weight loss than a standard control diet, even if your resting metabolism doesn't change.
SAAR led to a ~ 20% greater weight loss compared to controls (β 95% CI − 1.14 (− 2.04, − 0.25) kg, p = 0.013). Despite greater weight loss, resting metabolic rate remained similar between groups.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with blinding, though sample size is moderate (n=59) and duration is short (8 weeks).
Source
Dietary sulfur amino acid restriction in humans with overweight and obesity: a translational randomized controlled trial
Thomas Olsén et al. · Journal of Translational Medicine · 2024
DOI 10.1186/s12967-023-04833-w
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- Sulfur amino acid restriction (SAAR) significantly decreases serum leptin levels and increases plasma ketone bodies (beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate) compared to a control diet, indicating a shift in metabolic fuel usage.Good
- Sulfur amino acid restriction (SAAR) induces transcriptional remodeling in white adipose tissue (WAT), upregulating ribosomal processes and downregulating structural components, without significantly altering classical metabolic risk biomarkers like lipids or glucose.Moderate
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