Methionine is an essential sulfur-containing amino acid that plays a key role in metabolism, detoxification, and the biosynthesis of other critical compounds such as S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and glutathione¹². Here are some key points about methionine supplementation:

1. Metabolism and Immune Response: Methionine supplementation can enhance growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and immune response in animals. Studies show that dietary methionine improves weight gain and immune markers in chicks³.

2. Neurotransmission and Antidepressant Effects: Methionine is a precursor to SAMe, which is essential for methylation processes in the brain and has potential antidepressant properties⁴.

3. Oxidative Stress and Detoxification: Methionine contributes to the synthesis of glutathione, a major antioxidant in the body, which helps in detoxification and maintaining oxidative balance⁵.

4. Potential Toxicity: High doses of methionine can elevate homocysteine levels, which is associated with cardiovascular risk. Excessive methionine intake may also lead to adverse effects such as impaired growth in infants and exacerbation of gastrointestinal toxicity in specific clinical settings⁶⁷.

5. Double-Edged Sword: Methionine can have both beneficial and detrimental effects depending on the dosage and physiological conditions. While it is necessary for health, over-supplementation can lead to metabolic disturbances and toxicity⁸.

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Footnotes

1. E.A. Hunter, "Cysteine and methionine supplementation modulate the effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha on protein synthesis, glutathione and zinc concentration of liver and lung in rats fed a low protein diet." PubMed Central, 1994. ↩

2. Yordan Martínez, "The role of methionine on metabolism, oxidative stress, and diseases." PubMed, 2017. ↩

3. Jiatu Zhang, "Effects of dietary methionine supplementation on the growth performance, immune responses, antioxidant capacity, and subsequent development of layer chicks." NCBI, 2023. ↩

4. Simon N. Young, "The effect of methionine and S-adenosylmethionine on S-adenosylmethionine levels in the rat brain." NCBI, 2005. ↩

5. Laura E. Ewing, "Dietary Methionine Supplementation Exacerbates Gastrointestinal Toxicity in a Mouse Model of Abdominal Irradiation." NCBI, 2021. ↩

6. Peter J. Garlick, "Toxicity of methionine in humans." PubMed, 2024. ↩

7. Isabelle R. Miousse, "Short-term dietary methionine supplementation affects one-carbon metabolism and DNA methylation in the mouse gut and leads to altered microbiome profiles, barrier function, gene expression and histomorphology." NCBI, 2017. ↩

8. Umashanker Navik, "Methionine as a double-edged sword in health and disease: Current perspective and future challenges." PubMed, 2023. ↩