Methionine is one of the nine essential amino acids your body cannot produce on its own, so you need to consume it through food or supplements. It is found in a variety of foods, including meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, and dairy products.
Methionine is indispensable for various physiological and biochemical processes. It reduces oxidative stress and is required for normal development and cell growth. This essential amino acid is important for the growth and maintenance of lean body mass (LBM), which includes organs, muscle tissue, and bone mass (1).
Keep reading and find out what is the correct methionine dosage!
Methionine – Foods
Methionine is an essential amino acid you need to consume through food or supplements. It is found in high amounts in (2):
- eggs,
- chicken breast,
- some fishes (e.g., salmon, mahi-mahi or dolphinfish, and halibut),
- dairy products,
- spinach,
- zucchini,
- mushrooms,
- asparagus.
Methionine - Health Benefits
However, there are several scientifically proven health benefits of upping your methionine dosage and taking it through oral supplements:
- Methionine supports the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, helping to reduce oxidative stress (3),
- Methionine can decrease DNA damage, which may help prevent cancer and other degenerative diseases (3),
- Methionine may play a leading role in reducing the prevalence of cancer (3),
- Methionine plays an essential role in the immune system (3),
- Methionine improves hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, inflammation, fibrosis, and bone health (4),
- Methionine can help reduce liver damage (5).
Methionine – Dosage
Methionine plays a crucial role in protein metabolism and is important for lean body mass (LBM).
However, taking too much methionine or not enough B vitamins (especially B-12, B6, riboflavin, and folate) can raise the blood level of homocysteine.
Higher levels of homocysteine in the blood increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in people who are already at risk for heart problems.
Therefore, it is necessary to know the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) and the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL) of supplemented methionine (1).
According to research presented during the 10th Amino Acid Assessment Workshop, the maximum safe dose of supplemental methionine is 46 mg per kg of body weight per day, which is approximately 3.2 grams per day for a 70 kg healthy adult. This is considered the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL), meaning it is the highest dose at which no harmful effects have been observed (6).
According to research, the dose at which harmful effects are first observed, the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL), for methionine supplementation is 91 mg per kg of body weight per day (1), which is approximately 6.37 grams per day for a 70 kg healthy adult.
You can read more about the benefits of methionine supplementation in one of our previous articles:
Literature sources:
- Ligthart-Melis GC, Engelen MPKJ, Simbo SY, Ten Have GAM, Thaden JJ, Cynober L, Deutz NEP. Metabolic consequences of supplemented methionine in a clinical context. J Nutr. 2020;150(Suppl 1):2538S-2547S. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa254.
- Schnekenburger M, Diederich M. Nutritional epigenetic regulators in the field of cancer. In: Epigenetic Cancer Therapy. 1st ed. [Internet]. 2015:393–425. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800206-3.00018-5.
- Martínez Y, Li X, Liu G, Bin P, Yan W, Más D, et al. The role of methionine on metabolism, oxidative stress, and diseases. Amino Acids. 2017;49(12):2091–2098. doi:10.1007/s00726-017-2494-2.
- Navik U, Sheth VG, Khurana A, Jawalekar SS, Allawadhi P, Gaddam RR, Bhatti JS, Tikoo K. Methionine as a double-edged sword in health and disease: Current perspective and future challenges. Ageing Res Rev. 2021 Dec;72:101500. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101500.
- Li Z, Wang F, Liang B, Su Y, Sun S, Xia S, Shao J, Zhang Z, Hong M, Zhang F, Zheng S. Methionine metabolism in chronic liver diseases: an update on molecular mechanism and therapeutic implication. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2020 Dec 4;5(1):280. doi: 10.1038/s41392-020-00349-7. PMID: 33273451; PMCID: PMC7714782.
- Cynober L, Bier DM, Stover P, Kadowaki M, Morris SM, Elango R, Smriga M. Proposals for upper limits of safe intake for methionine, histidine, and lysine in healthy humans. J Nutr. 2020 Oct 1;150(Suppl 1):2606S-2608S. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa231. PMID: 33000163.
