Tristetraprolin: The Protein That Builds Your Bones (And 3 Easy Ways To Get It)

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Nutrition Supplements

Evidence-Based
6 min Read
tristetraprolin bones

Recent studies have discovered that an anti-inflammatory protein called tristetraprolin (TTP) has a direct bearing on bone health. Today we'll have a look at this seldom-mentioned compound, what it does, and how it impacts your bones.

We'll also examine Big Pharma's potential uses of this discovery and you'll learn about several ways to achieve ideal TTP levels through diet and supplementation to protect your bones.

What Is Tristetraprolin?

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a protein naturally produced by the body. TTP targets messenger molecules that encode cytokines, proteins involved in inflammation. TTP binds to the messenger molecules and destabilizes them, which reduces cytokine levels and consequently reduces inflammation. 1

A study on mice has confirmed that TTP levels have a direct relationship to inflammation. When TTP levels were higher, the mice became resistant to inflammation. The researchers concluded that increasing TTP levels can help humans to avoid and treat inflammatory diseases like arthritis or multiple sclerosis.1

Additionally, TTP's effect on inflammation levels has a direct impact on bone health. A study conducted in 2018 at the University of Buffalo tested the importance of TTP for bone health by examining groups of mice altered to produce different amounts of the protein. The researchers bred one group of mice engineered not to produce TTP, one group engineered to overproduce the protein and an unaffected group as a control.2

They found that TTP production was directly linked to bone health. The mice who couldn't produce the protein experienced rapid bone loss and developed arthritis, eczema, and other inflammatory conditions. These mice had elevated osteoclast levels- which may explain the rapid bone loss since osteoclasts are cells that remove old bone.2

The group engineered to over-produce TTP exhibited increased protection against inflammation, and bone turnover was reduced by 13 percent, without affecting the number of osteoclasts.

Unfortunately, our bodies' natural TTP production rate slows down with age. As TTP levels naturally decline, inflammation-related conditions become more likely, and bone health can suffer.

Synopsis

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a protein naturally produced by the body that limits inflammation. This means that TTP also has bone-protective qualities, but unfortunately, TTP levels decrease with age.

Big Pharma's Business As Usual

Big Pharma is particularly interested in this expanded knowledge about TTP and its ability to limit inflammation levels.

There are non-pharmaceutical means of increasing TTP levels (and we'll review them in just a moment), but it is highly likely that Big Pharma will use this research to create new osteoporosis drugs. Because TTP decreases with age, they will frame this part of the natural aging process as an illness that requires pharmaceutical intervention.

This is both incorrect and unhealthy. The changes that occur with aging should be addressed through diet, exercise, and lifestyle modifications- not with an onslaught of unnecessary drugs that have side-effects that deteriorate health and quality of life.

Synopsis

Big Pharma will almost certainly invest in the production of new drugs to increase TTP levels, adding to the list of unnecessary and harmful osteoporosis drugs.

Green Tea Increases TTP

Our bodies naturally produce TTP, but because its production declines with age, it is important to incorporate food sources of TTP into your diet.

Green tea is a source of TTP that can increase levels enough to have a positive impact on inflammation levels. A study in the Journal of Inflammation showed that solid green tea extracts had the ability to decrease inflammation markers in rats.3

Unfortunately, green tea contains fluoride, which is an acidifying chemical that contributes to bone loss and may even lead to skeletal fluorosis.4 Skeletal fluorosis is the excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, causing painful damage to bones and joints. There are some green tea supplements that have the fluoride removed- so if you'd like to use green tea to increase TTP, seek out a supplement that doesn't contain fluoride. And if you drink green tea, remember to do so in moderation.

Synopsis

Green tea increases TTP levels, but it also contains fluoride, which damages your bones. A fluoride-free green tea supplement is the best way to get TTP from green tea.

Cinnamon For TTP And Blood Sugar

A study conducted on mice, published in 2011 demonstrated that cinnamon polyphenol extract (CPE) is an effective means of increasing TTP levels and receiving its inflammation-limiting benefits.5

Cinnamon also has the ability to lower your fasting blood glucose levels. A study with human participants found that taking one, three, or six grams of ground cinnamon in capsule form each day for forty days lowered and helped stabilize their blood sugar levels.6 For reference, six grams of cinnamon powder is a little more than two teaspoons, three grams is a little more than one teaspoon, and a single gram is a little less than a third of a teaspoon.

Strong

Cinnamon increases TTP levels. It can also lower your fasting blood glucose levels- helping to stabilize your blood sugar.

Resveratrol Increases TTP Levels

Resveratrol is a natural compound found in small quantities in foods such as grape skins, peanuts, and some berries. It reduces oxidative stress, improves blood flow, and reduces inflammation.

It also has been shown to increase TTP levels in experiments on colon cancer, resulting in the suppression of the proliferation and metastasis of colon cancer cells.7 While this and other studies show that resveratrol can be used as an anti-cancer agent, the same proliferation of TTP supports healthy bones.8

A study on the relationship between resveratrol and bone health found that participants who took a high dose of resveratrol saw a notable increase in levels of bone formation markers.9

Here is a list of foods containing the highest levels of resveratrol:

  • Red grapes*
  • Red Wine
  • Bilberries
  • Blueberries*
  • Peanuts*
  • Dark chocolate*

*Foundation Foods

Synopsis

Resveratrol is an excellent source of TTP that supports bone health.

Bolster TTP Naturally To Protect Your Bones

Enhancing your diet with Foundation Supplements and bone-healthy compounds like resveratrol is an important part of preventing and reversing osteoporosis.

The Osteoporosis Reversal Program provides a simple supplementation strategy to ensure you're getting everything you need to improve the quality of your bones and the quality of your life.

References

1 https://www.pnas.org/content/113/7/1865

2 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022034518756889

3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1783848/

4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3144112/

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21329350

6 https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/12/3215.full

7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29956753

8 https://europepmc.org/articles/pmc4673414

9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25322274