Amino Acids
What is Amino Acids?
The proteins that make up living organisms are huge molecules, but they’re
composed of tinier building blocks, known as amino acids. There are over
500 amino acids found in nature, yet, of these, the human genetic code only
directly codes for 20. Every protein in your body is made up of some linked
combination of these amino acids.
Essential and Non-essential Amino
Acids
Broadly, these twenty amino acids can be sorted into two groups: essential
and non-essential. Non-essential amino acids are those which the human body is
capable of synthesising, whereas essential amino acids must be obtained from
the diet. The non-essential amino acids are alanine, arginine, asparagine,
aspartate, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and
tyrosine; some of these can also be termed ‘conditionally essential’, meaning
that they may be needed from the diet during illness or as a result of health
problems. This sub-category includes arginine, glycine, cysteine, tyrosine,
proline, and glutamine. The essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine,
leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.
Roles of Amino Acids in nutrition and whole-body homoestasis
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Lysine **
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Helps form collagen, the connective tissue present
in bone, ligaments tendons and joint.
Assists in the absorption of calcium.
Essential for children, critical for bone formation.
Involved in hormone production.
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Threonine **
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Required for formation of collagen.
Helps prevent fatty deposits in the river.
Aids in production of antibodies.
Acts as detoxifier.
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Valine **
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Involved with muscle strength, endurance, and muscle stamina.
Actively absorbed and used directly by muscle as an energy source.
During period of Valine deficiency, all amino acids and
protein are less absorbed by the GI tract.
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Methionine **
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Assists in breakdown of fats.
Helps reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Antioxidant.
Assists in the removal of toxic wastes from the liver.
Helps prevent disorder of hair, skin and nails.
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Isoleucine **
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Involved with muscle strength, endurance, and muscle
stamina.
Required in the formation of hemoglobin.
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Leucine **
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Involved with muscle strength, endurance and muscle stamina.
Potent stimulator of insulin.
Helps with bone and skin healing.
Modulates release of Enkephalins, which are natural
pain- reducers.
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Phenylalanine **
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Enhances mood, clarity of thought, concentration and memory.
Suppresses appetite.
Powerful anti-depressant.
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Tryptophan **
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Precursor to the key neurotransmitter, serotonin, which exerts a calming
effect.
Effective sleep aid.
Reduces anxiety.
Effective in some forms of depression.
Treatment for migraine headaches.
Stimulates growth hormone.
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Histidine
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Useful in treating anemia due to relationship to
hemoglobin.
Has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Associated with allergic response and has been used
to treat allergy.
Assists in maintaining proper blood pH.
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Arginine
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Essential for normal immune system activity.
Necessary for wound healing.
Necessary for production and release of growth
hormone
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Aspartic Acid
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Increases stamina.
Helps protect the liver by aiding the removal of
ammonia.
Involved in immune system function by enhancing immunoglobulin
production and anti-body formation.
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Glutamic Acid
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Excesses in brain tissue can call cell damage.
Accelerates wound healing and ulcer healing.
Detoxifies ammonia in the brain by forming
glutamine.
Plays major role in DNA synthesis.
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Proline
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Critical component of cartilage, and hence health of joints, tendons and
ligaments.
Involved in keeping heart muscle strong.
Works in conjunction with Vitamin C in keeping skin and joints healthy.
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Cystine & Cystein
(interconvertible)
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Antioxidant.
Natural detoxifier.
Essential in growth, maintenance and repair of skin.
Key ingredient in hair
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Tyrosine
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Precursor to neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine
(adrenaline) and melanin.
Effective anti-depressant for norepinephrine-deficient depressions.
Increases energy, improves mental clarity and concentration.
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Glycine
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Part of the structure of hemoglobin.
One of the main inhibitory neurotransmitters.
Involved in glucagon production, which assists in glycogen metabolism.
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Glutamine
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Precursor to the neurotransmitter GABA which is an inhibitory
neurotransmitter that produces serenity and relaxation.
Essential for helping to maintain normal and steady blood sugar levels.
Involved with muscle strength.
Essential to gastrointestinal function; provides energy to the small
intestines.
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Taurine
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Anti-oxidant. Slows down the aging process by neutralizing free
radicals.
Highly concentrated in the heart and eye.
Involved in stabilization of heart rhythm. Useful in treatment of
Congestive Heart Failure. |
