Research
Hormonal
Bariatric surgery, specifically Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, reduces BCAA levels and improves insulin sensitivity, an effect not seen with weight loss alone via gastric banding.
If you undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, your BCAA levels are likely to drop, which helps improve insulin sensitivity. This benefit is specific to the type of surgery and not just weight loss.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Studies of bariatric surgery suggest lower basal and post-insulin infusion BCAA levels are associated with greater insulin sensitivity... reductions in BCAA not seen with weight loss per se with gastric band procedures, but occurring after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
Why this rating
Based on observational studies of surgical outcomes.
Source
Diabetes and branched‐chain amino acids: <scp>W</scp>hat is the link?
Zachary T. Bloomgarden · Journal of Diabetes · 2018
DOI 10.1111/1753-0407.12645
narrative_reviewCited 234×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Elevated circulating branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) levels are strongly associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, potentially acting as mediators through mTORC1 activation and accumulation of toxic metabolites like acylcarnitines and ceramides.Moderate
- Dietary restriction of branched-chain amino acids can improve insulin sensitivity and increase energy expenditure in animal models, suggesting a potential therapeutic avenue for metabolic disease.Limited
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