🇺🇸 영어 원문
A large study involving more than 270,000 people suggests that one common amino acid may be tied to how long men live.
Researchers led by Jie V. Zhao, Yitang Sun, Junmeng Zhang, and Kaixiong Ye from the University of Hong Kong and the University of Georgia examined whether phenylalanine and tyrosine, two amino acids involved in metabolism and brain function, are connected to lifespan. Their results point to a notable difference between men and women. Higher tyrosine levels were associated with shorter life expectancy in men, while no significant effect was detected in women.
The findings could eventually help scientists better understand why aging and longevity differ between the sexes, although much more research is needed before the results can be translated into health recommendations.
The research was published in Aging-US titled "The role of phenylalanine and tyrosine in longevity: a cohort and Mendelian randomization study."
Amino acids are the molecular building blocks that the body uses to make proteins. Phenylalanine and tyrosine are both found in foods that contain protein, and they are also available in dietary supplements.
Beyond their role in protein production, these amino acids participate in important biological processes. Tyrosine is especially interesting because the body uses it to produce neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that allow nerve cells to communicate, and dopamine helps regulate functions that include mood, motivation, and thinking.
Despite these important roles, scientists still do not fully understand how long-term differences in phenylalanine and tyrosine levels might influence aging.
To investigate, the researchers analyzed information from more than 270,000 participants in the UK Biobank, a large research database containing health and genetic data from people in the United Kingdom.
The team used two complementary approaches. First, they looked for associations between blood concentrations of phenylalanine and tyrosine and outcomes related to death and predicted lifespan. They also used genetic methods to investigate whether the relationships might go beyond a simple association.
One of those approaches was Mendelian randomization. This method uses naturally occurring genetic differences among people as a way to test whether a particular biological factor may contribute to an outcome. Because genes are assigned before many lifestyle choices and diseases develop, the technique can sometimes provide stronger clues about cause and effect than an observational study alone.
At first, higher levels of both amino acids appeared to be associated with an increased risk of death. But when the researchers examined the relationships more closely, tyrosine was the one that consistently stood out.
The genetic analyses suggested that elevated tyrosine levels may have a potentially causal relationship with reduced life expectancy in men. According to the researchers’ estimates, higher tyrosine could shorten male lifespan by nearly one year.
The same pattern was not seen in women. Researchers found no significant effect of tyrosine on female lifespan.
The relationship also remained after the researchers accounted for phenylalanine and other related factors, strengthening the possibility that tyrosine itself may have an independent connection to aging.
The team also found that men generally have higher levels of tyrosine than women. That difference may be connected to the biological patterns the researchers observed.
🇰🇷 한국어 요약
이번 기사에서는 대규모 연구를 통해 공통 아미노산 중 하나인 티로신이 남성 수명과 관련될 수 있다는 내용을 다루고 있어요. 홍콩대학교와 조지아대학교 연구진은 영국 바이오뱅크에 등록된 27만 명 이상의 건강과 유전 데이터를 분석했어요. 페닐알라닌과 티로신은 단백질 생성, 대사, 그리고 뇌 기능에 관여하는 중요한 아미노산이에요. 연구 결과, 남성에서는 티로신 수치가 높을수록 기대수명이 더 짧게 나타났지만, 여성에서는 그런 유의미한 효과가 확인되지 않았어요. 연구진은 단순한 상관관계를 넘어서 인과 가능성을 살펴보기 위해 ‘멘델 무작위화’라는 유전 분석 방법도 사용했는데요, 이 분석에서는 티로신 수준이 남성 수명을 거의 1년 정도 줄일 수 있다는 추정치가 나왔어요. 물론 이 연구가 지금 바로 ‘티로신을 줄여야 한다’는 건강 조언을 의미하는 것은 아니에요. 성별에 따른 노화 차이와 장수 메커니즘을 이해하려면 더 많은 연구가 필요합니다. 이 기사를 통해 여러분은 아미노산, 신경전달물질, 성별 차이, 그리고 과학 연구에서 ‘상관관계’와 ‘인과관계’의 차이를 이해하는 연습을 할 수 있어요.
🔑 핵심 단어 (Vocabulary)
- amino acid – 아미노산 – Amino acids are the molecular building blocks that the body uses to make proteins.
- lifespan – 수명, 생존 기간 – …two amino acids involved in metabolism and brain function, are connected to lifespan.
- tyrosine – 티로신 – Higher tyrosine levels were associated with shorter life expectancy in men.
- phenylalanine – 페닐알라닌 – Phenylalanine and tyrosine are both found in foods that contain protein.
- longevity – 장수, 수명 연장 – The findings could eventually help scientists better understand why aging and longevity differ between the sexes.
- neurotransmitter – 신경전달물질 – Tyrosine is especially interesting because the body uses it to produce neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
- dopamine – 도파민 – Dopamine helps regulate functions that include mood, motivation, and thinking.
- Mendelian randomization – 멘델 무작위화 – One of those approaches was Mendelian randomization.
- cohort – 코호트, 연구 집단 – The research was published in Aging-US titled "The role of phenylalanine and tyrosine in longevity: a cohort and Mendelian randomization study."
- association – 연관, 관련 – First, they looked for associations between blood concentrations of phenylalanine and tyrosine and outcomes related to death and predicted lifespan.
🔗 원문 링크
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260904000330.htm