Unravelling the role of alanine in mental disorders: a Mendelian randomisation study
Xin Huang, Jie V. Zhao · 2026
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Description
Xin Huang and Jie V Zhao use genetics in a 2026 study to test whether alanine, an amino acid found in meat, plays a causal part in mental illness. Alanine helps move energy between muscle and brain and feeds into brain chemicals tied to mood and thought. Early work gave mixed signals, with some small studies hinting at help for schizophrenia and others raising worry for mood disorders.
The pair applied Mendelian randomisation, a method that uses genes fixed at birth as a stand-in for lifetime alanine levels. They drew gene data from large genome studies covering more than 115,000 people in the UK Biobank. Outcomes covered major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, with checks split by sex. Readers can follow how gene-based tests sidestep many traps of small observational studies.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Xin Huang, Jie V. Zhao |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 28134 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |