A low-dose leucine supplement to a normal diet could increase body fat loss, say Brazilian researchers who have reported positive results on rats. The new study, published in the journal Nutrition (Vol. 22, pp. 520-527), used 28 Wistar rats eating the model AIN-93M diet for three weeks. The rats were subsequently divided into two groups, one continued to eat the normal diet, while the second group ate the diet plus a 0.6 per cent L-leucine supplement for a further six weeks.
