Benefits of Amino Acids

Of all the compounds within your body, amino acids account for 75%. These acids are absolutely essential to the proper performance of almost every task that your body accomplishes. In fact, life cannot take form without the application of amino acids.

An easy way to envision the importance that amino acids have on the health of your body is to take the analogy of a house. If proteins within your body are the walls, floor and ceiling, amino acids are the nails that hold these walls together.

Indeed, amino acids are one of the most important chemical compounds in your body. For this reason, their benefits are nearly immeasurable. When viewing all amino acids that are present in the body, three are regarded as being essential.

These amino acids (valine, tryptophan and phenylalanine) are chemicals that your body cannot produce. Therefore, these are the major amino acids that must be present in your diet.

This article will show the individual benefits of each major amino acid that is present in your body. If you would like to read more information about amino acids, please refer to our website's section entitled "Amino Acids Glossary".

Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids are substances that are not synthesized by our bodies, and thus only present in healthy diets. There is a common misconception that essential amino acids are required for life, hence the name. In fact, essential amino acids get their name from the "essential" need to have them in your diet in order to obtain them.

Arginine

Food Sources: Cashews, Peanuts, Watermelon Seeds, Walnuts, Garlic

• Has been shown to be effective in the reduction of early recognized tumors or cancer.
• Its primary purpose is the removal of toxins from the liver.
• Has applications in the promotion of a healthy and stable immune system.
• Acts to release growth hormones.
• Has been shown to be an effective agent in the increase of sperm count in men.
• Has also been successful in the treatment of trauma and disorders of the kidneys.

Histidine

Food Sources: Dairy Products, Grapes, Bananas, Poultry, Root Vegetables

• Successful in lab tests as a resource for people who struggle with nail biting.
• Useful in the dilation of the blood vessels.
• Also shown to be successful in the alleviation of rheumatoid arthritis pain.

Lysine

Food Sources: Fresh Fruits, Brewer's Yeast, Milk, Leafy Vegetables, Poultry

• Acts in conjunction with proteins to be a valuable tool in the growth of healthy muscles and the repair of damaged ones.
• Works with other vitamins and minerals to better absorb calcium.
• Has been shown to be helpful in the prevention of osteoporosis.
• Is one of the key agents in the production of collagen.
• Has been shown to be successful in the treatment of cold sores and genital herpes.
• Is partially responsible for the production of antibodies and enzymes.

Methionine

Food Sources: Dairy Products, Fish, Poultry, Whole Grains, Meats

• Has often been used to reduce body fat (lipotropic).
• Lowers bad cholesterol.
• Is often regarded as one of the best chemicals in the production of new skin cells.
• A protective agent of the kidneys.

Phenylalanine

Food Sources: Pistachio Nuts, Piyal Seeds, Dairy Products, Whole Grains, Legumes

• Often administered as an organic pain reduction chemical.
• Has not been shown to be an addictive substance.
• Has been shown to be effective in the treatment of pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, cramps, neck pain, skeletal arthritis and pain in the lower back.

Non-Essential Amino Acids

Also called "conditionally essential," non-essential amino acids are different from essential amino acids as they are not normally necessary in a well-balanced healthy diet, but must instead be supplied to some populations that do not synthesize the non-essential amino acids at normal levels.

Non-Essential Amino Acids are synthesized by healthy humans, but some people need to adjust their levels of these amino acids in their diets. Patients undergoing treatment for the condition phenylketonuria, for example, must keep intake of phenlylalanine at a minimum, while supplementing their diets with tyrosine to avoid metabolic complications and reduce the risk of mental retardation.

L-Cysteine

Food Sources: Red Peppers, Egg Yolk, Poultry, Wheat Germ, Onions

• Assists anti-oxidants in the removal of free radicals from the body.
• One of the most important compounds in the reduction of aging effects on the skin.
• Effective in the removal of toxins from the body.
• Acts as a governing agent to protect the body from toxic amounts of copper.

Glutamic Acid/Glutamine

Food Sources: Vegetables, Meat, Poultry, Eggs, Fish, Dairy

• Has been shown to be an affective chemical for the improvement of function in the brain.
• As a stimulant, acts to reduce the effects of fatigue.
• Is useful in the reduction of ulcer recovery time.
• Often administered as a mood elevator.

Glycine

Food Sources: Beans, Fish, Meat, Dairy Products

• Beneficial in the balancing of acids present within the body.
• Functions mainly as a producer of glycogen (removes glucose present in the liver).
• Has applications in the promotion of a healthy and stable immune system.

Tyrosine

Food Sources: Peanuts, Milk, Soybeans, Rice, Leafy Vegetables

• Most often used to regulate emotions and their resulting behavior in extreme cases.
• Acts as a stimulant to modify brain processes.
• Is most often used to treat depression and anxiety that is unresponsive to other drugs.

Supplementing Your Diet with Amino Acids

One of the most important reasons to supplement your dietary intake with amino acids is to replenish your body's constantly dwindling supply. The reason being, your body does not store surplus amounts of amino acids for later use.

Hence, if your diet is not sufficient for the reintroduction of amino acids on a regular basis, you could suffer protein degradation that can develop into serious, deadly conditions.

Taking a multi-vitamin is the best way to make sure that you are getting a balanced amount of amino acids. However, be sure that the multi-vitamin that you take is GMP compliant. Non-compliance can usually indicate a lack of some amino acids or ineffective doses of the ones that are present on the label.