Abstract
Hypothalamic neuronal histamine is a derivative of histidine. It has been shown to both suppress food intake and accelerate lipolysis as a target of leptin in rats. The present study aimed to examine whether or not histidine intake affects feeding suppression, lipolysis and the serum leptin concentration in moderately obese women. The subjects were 118 moderately obese females (mean BMI 29.2±0.3kg/m2, mean age 46.9±0.8 years) who participated in a weight reduction program for three months. Blood sampling and a nutritional survey were carried out, and the subjects' weight was measured before and after weight loss. A negative correlation was shown between energy intake and histidine/protein intake after weight loss. This relationship demonstrated statistical significance after controlling for the serum leptin concentration. A significantly positive correlation was shown between histidine/protein intake and the free fatty acid level. In conclusion, these data suggest that histidine intake suppressed food intake and accelerated lipolysis in these moderately obese women. Therefore histidine may be an effective amino acid for preventing or ameliorating moderate obesity.
