Research
Hormonal
Elevated levels of branched-chain alpha-keto acids (BCKAs) impair insulin signaling by activating mTORC1, independent of BCAAs.
BCKAs, metabolites of BCAAs, directly impair insulin signaling by activating mTORC1. This suggests that managing BCAA metabolism is crucial for preventing insulin resistance, as BCKAs are not just inert byproducts but active contributors to metabolic dysfunction.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Like BCAAs, BCKAs also suppressed insulin signaling via activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1.
Why this rating
Strong experimental evidence in cell culture models demonstrating the direct effect of BCKAs on insulin signaling.
Source
Targeting BCAA Catabolism to Treat Obesity-Associated Insulin Resistance
Meiyi Zhou et al. · Diabetes · 2019
DOI 10.2337/db18-0927
mechanism_onlyCited 311×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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