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Updated: May 19, 2026

Bioorthogonal Chemical Imaging of Cell Metabolism Regulated by Aromatic Amino Acids
Published on: May 12, 2023
The relationship between BMI and metabolomic profiles: a focus on amino acids
Ciara Morris1, Colm O'Grada, Miriam Ryan
1UCD Institute of Food and Health, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland.
Abstract:
The role of metabolomics in the field of nutrition is continuing to grow and it has the potential to assist in the understanding of metabolic regulation and explain how minor perturbations can have a multitude of biochemical endpoints. It is this development, which creates the potential to provide the knowledge necessary to facilitate a more targeted approach to nutrition. In recent years, there has been interest in applying metabolomics to examine alterations in the metabolic profile according to weight gain/obesity. Emerging from these studies is the strong evidence that alterations in the amino acid (AA) profiles are associated with obesity. Several other studies have also shown a relationship between branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), obesity and insulin resistance. The present review focuses on the proposed link between AA and in particular BCAA, obesity and insulin resistance. In conclusion, a wealth of information is accumulating to support the role of AA, and in particular of the BCAA, in obesity.
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