Leucine in Obesity: Therapeutic Prospects

Obesity develops from an imbalance of energy homeostasis and is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation in white adipose tissues (WAT). Inflammation is involved in the pathophysiology of many obesity-induced disorders including insulin resistance and diabetes. Increasing evidence has shown that dietary leucine supplementation positively affects the parameters associated with obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders. The beneficial effects include increased loss of body weight, reduced WAT inflammation, improved lipid and glucose metabolism, enhanced mitochondrial function, and preserved lean body mass. Although these beneficial effects have not been clearly established, dietary leucine supplementation, either alone or as part of a therapeutic regimen, may be a good nutritional tool in the prevention and management of obesity and obesity-induced metabolic disorders.

TrendsObesity is not an exclusively adipocyte disease, but also involves other cell types that reside in WAT. In most obese subjects, obesity is accompanied by low-grade inflammation of WAT resulting from chronic activation of the innate immune system, which can subsequently result in insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and even diabetes.Leucine regulates appetite and satiety, energy expenditure, lipid and glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, chronic inflammation, browning of WAT, and other metabolic processes.leucine supplementation is associated with obesity and related metabolic disorders, and the use of dietary leucine supplementation has been extensively explored for therapeutic intervention of obesity and obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction.