Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42008227›Full record

ArticleGeroScience2026

Higher plasma serine levels are associated with favorable values of metabolic health markers among middle-aged and older adults in The Maastricht Study.

Thomas Olsen, Amany Elshorbagy, Elena C Tore, Nasser E Bastani, Emma Stolt, Gabriëlla A M Blokland, Coen D A Stehouwer, M Eline Kooi, Jacobus F A Jansen, Simone J P M Eussen and 6 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in GeroScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Thomas OlsenDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1805-5221
Amany ElshorbagyDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3QT, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8624-860X
Elena C ToreDepartment of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht CARIM, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9218-3849
Nasser E BastaniDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9404-9662
Emma StoltDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4481-225X
Gabriëlla A M BloklandDepartment of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0566-444X
Coen D A StehouwerDepartment of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, ON1bis Herestraat 49 - Box 902, Louvain, 3000, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8752-3223
M Eline KooiDepartment of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht CARIM, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7562-5724
Jacobus F A JansenDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5271-8060
Simone J P M EussenDepartment of Epidemiology, Caridovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), and Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0559-6838
Pol GrootswagersDivision of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1850-1714
Helga RefsumDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway.
Kjetil RetterstølDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1309-7556
Kathrine J VinknesDepartment of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, Blindern, Oslo, 0317, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0756-5042
Marleen M J van GreevenbroekDepartment of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht CARIM, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2989-1631
Sailendra Nath NichenametlaAnimal Science Laboratory, Orentreich Foundation for the Advancement of Science, Cold Spring-On-Hudson, NY, 10516, USA. snichenametla@orentreich.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5969-3572

Funding

European Regional Development Fund via OP-Zuid, the Province of Limburg, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs 31O.041
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Laboratory studies indicate a mechanistic role for serine in the metabolic benefits induced by dietary restriction of methionine and cysteine.  To investigate the association of plasma serine with metabolic health markers in humans, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a subset of data from The Maastricht Study (n = 1199). Linear regression analyses (adjusted for confounding variables) were conducted to investigate whether plasma serine is associated with markers of lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and body composition. Interaction analyses were conducted to investigate whether sex, diabetes status, and plasma total cysteine modify the association of serine with metabolic markers. Correlations between dietary intake of sulfur amino acids and plasma amino acids, including methionine and total cysteine, were also investigated. Elevated plasma serine was associated with favorable changes in markers of lipid metabolism (triglycerides, total cholesterol, and indices of multiple fatty acid desaturases), glucose homeostasis (insulin resistance and glucose tolerance), fat utilization (β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone), and body composition (visceral and subcutaneous adipose depots, liver fat, and body mass index). Some associations were stronger in males than in females and in individuals with prediabetes and diabetes than in those without diabetes. Associations of plasma serine with body mass index, total fat mass, total lean mass, and subcutaneous adipose tissue weakened as plasma cysteine increased. Combined methionine and cysteine intake was inversely associated with plasma serine. Findings suggest that plasma serine is strongly associated with improved metabolic health in humans. Additional studies are required to confirm whether the associations are causal.

Indexed as

Adipose metabolismBiomarkers of healthCysteineGlucoseMethionineSulfur amino acids

Identifiers

PMID42008227

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.