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Move over, multivitamins.<\/p>\n
New research<\/a> suggests a little-known supplement could help protect people from severe illness or death after injury or infection, potentially giving the body an extra edge when it\u2019s under attack.<\/p>\n The findings offer fresh insight into what scientists call the \u201cdisease trajectory\u201d and how simple lifestyle changes might help steer people off a fast track toward decline and back on the road to recovery.<\/p>\n Boosting intake of an essential amino acid may help the body bounce back faster from infection and injury. JGI\/Jamie Grill\/Blend Images \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cOur study indicates that small biological differences, including dietary factors, can have large effects on disease outcomes,\u201d Dr. Janelle Ayres<\/a>, a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the study\u2019s senior author, said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n The researchers focused specifically on methionine, an essential amino acid the body can\u2019t produce on its own and must get from food.<\/p>\n Methionine can be found in protein-rich staples like eggs, poultry, fish and beef, as well as plant-based options such as Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, soybeans, tofu, lentils and whole grains like quinoa. It\u2019s also available in supplement form, typically in the form of L-methionine<\/a>.<\/p>\n Methionine plays several important roles in the body, building proteins, supporting DNA activity and repairing damaged tissues. But Ayres and her colleagues were especially interested in its role in controlling inflammation, the immune system\u2019s built-in fire alarm.<\/p>\n Inflammation kicks in whenever the body senses a threat, like an injury or infection. Immune cells swarm the area and release chemical messengers called pro-inflammatory cytokines, which coordinate the attack and kick-start the healing process.<\/p>\n But too much of a good thing can seriously backfire.<\/p>\n L-methionine supplements are widely available in various forms, including capsules, tablets and powders. Serhii \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n When inflammation spirals out of control, it can damage healthy cells and lead to organ damage and tissue death. That can trigger intense symptoms of illness and lead to serious complications, like fluid buildup in the lungs.<\/p>\n If the immune response never gets turned down, it can turn into chronic, low-grade inflammation<\/a> \u2014 a major driver of aging and diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.<\/p>\n \u201cPro-inflammatory cytokines are ultimately what leads to sickness and death in a lot of cases,\u201d Dr. Katia Troha, a postdoctoral researcher in Ayres\u2019s lab and first author of the study.<\/p>\n \u201cThe immune system has to balance inflammation to attack the invader without harming healthy cells in the body. Our job is to find the mechanisms it uses to do that, so that we can target them to improve patient outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n To see how that balance works, researchers used mice with systemic inflammation caused by the bacterium Yersinia pseudotuberculosis<\/a>.<\/p>\n They quickly noticed the sick mice were eating less, a sign that their metabolism was changing.<\/p>\n When the researchers checked their blood, they that their methionine levels had dropped.<\/p>\n That sparked an idea. Troha fed a new group of mice chow supplemented with methionine and found that they were protected against the infection.<\/p>\n Digging deeper, the team discovered methionine was working with an unexpected partner: The kidneys.<\/p>\n Methionine supplementation improved kidney function, helping tamp down inflammation in the body. Peakstock \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The amino acid boosted kidney filtration and blood flow, helping the body flush excess inflammatory cytokines out through urine.<\/p>\n Importantly, this didn\u2019t weaken the mice\u2019s ability to fight infection. Their immune systems still did the job, just without the collateral damage.<\/p>\n The team then tested methionine in other models, including sepsis<\/a> and kidney injury, and saw similar protective effects.<\/p>\n That suggests methionine could have broader potential in inflammatory diseases \u2014 especially those involving kidney stress or failure.<\/p>\n![\"Boosting](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/66b63b12164db985ac46d08f7a88a550.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"L-methionine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0cca1d42865afa6e9f2d1d84d7bd7170.jpeg\"\/)
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