Information On Amino Acids

Information On Amino Acids
Amino acids are the molecular units that make up proteins. All
proteins are various compositions of twenty specific naturally
occurring amino acids.

Protein is required for the growth and development of all animals
including human beings. Body proteins serve many functions, they
include structural components of cells and tissues, enzyme catalysts of
biochemical reactions, hormone messengers, and components of the immune
system.

Proteins are hydrolyzed by digestive enzymes to peptides and amino
acids which are absorbed and transported by the blood to various body
tissues. Tissue proteins are continually being broken down and
resynthesized, ingested amino acids being incorporated and those
already present being eliminated. Certain amino acids necessary for
growth and maintenance must be included in the diet, but others can be
synthesized from non-protein precursors.

• Alanine

  
  
  Alanine is synthesized in your muscle tissue from branched chain
  amino acids. It helps regulate your blood sugar levels and chronic
  deficiencies may lead to muscle loss and poor glucose tolerance.
  Alanine is the major amino acid utilized by the liver for
  gluconeogenesis under normal conditions.





• Arginine

  
  This amino acid is necessary for the normal functioning of the
  pituitary gland. Together with ornithine, phenylalanine, and other
  neuro chemicals, arginine is required for the synthesis and release of
  the pituitary gland's growth hormone.
  
  
  The need for arginine is especially important for males, since seminal fluids contain much of this amino acid.





• Aspartic acid

  
  Aspartic acid helps in the expulsion of harmful ammonia from the
  body. When ammonia enters the circulatory system it acts as a highly
  toxic substance. By disposing of ammonia, aspartic acid helps protect
  the central nervous system.





• Cysteine and Cystine

  
  
  Cystine is the stable form of the sulfur-containing amino acid
  cysteine. The body readily converts one into the other as needed, and
  the two forms can be considered as a single amino acid in metabolism.
  When cystine is metabolized it yields sulfuric acid which acts with
  other substances to help detoxify the system.





• Glutamic acid and Glutamine

  Glutamic acid is primarily
  used by the brain. It has the ability to pick up excess ammonia, which
  inhibits brain functioning, and convert it into glutamine. Since
  glutamine produces an elevation of glutamic acid, a shortage in the
  diet can result in a shortage of glutamic acid in the brain.
  
  
  Glutamine has also been shown to help in the control of alcoholism,
  shorten the healing time of ulcers and alleviate fatigue, depression,
  and impotence. It has also been used successfully in the treatment of
  schizophrenia and senility.





• Glycine

  
  Glycine has been found to be helpful in the treatment of low
  pituitary gland function and, because it supplies the body with
  additional creatine, it has also been found effective in the treatment
  of progressive muscular dystrophy.
  
  
  It is also used for the treatment of hypoglycemia. Glycine
  stimulates the release of glucagon, which mobilizes glycogen, which is
  then released into the blood as glucose.
  
  
  




• Lysine

  
  This essential amino acid is vital in the makeup of critical body
  proteins. It's needed for growth, tissue repair, and the production of
  antibodies, hormones, and enzymes.
  
  
  It promotes better concentration and properly utilizes fatty acids needed for energy production.





• Methionine

  
  Methionine helps in some cases of schizophrenia by lowering the
  blood level of histamine, which can cause the brain to relay wrong
  messages. It also helps remove toxic wastes from your liver, assists in
  the regeneration of liver and kidney tissue, infuences hair follicle
  health, and can be an effective antistress factor.
  
  
  A deficiency of methionine can inhibit the body's ability to process
  urine and result in edema and susceptibility to infection. A methionine
  deficiency has also been linked to cholesterol deposits,
  atherosclerosis, and hair loss in laboratory animals.





• Phenylalanine

  
  Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that is a neuro-transmitter
  (a chemical that transmits signals between the nerve cells and the
  brain).





• DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA)

  
  This form of the essential amino acid phenylalanine is a mixture of
  equal parts of D (synthetic) and L (natural) phenylalanine. By
  producing and activating endorphins it intensifies and prolongs the
  body's own natural pain-killing response to injury and disease.
  
  
  Certain enzyme systems continually destroy endorphins, but
  DL-phenylalanine effectively inhibits these enzymes, allowing the
  pain-killing endorphins to work.
  
  
  People who suffer from chronic pain have lower levels of endorphin
  activity in their blood and cerebro-spinal fluid. Since DLPA can
  restore normal endorphin levels, it can assist the body in reducing
  pain naturally. It is effective as a natural pain-killer for conditions
  such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lower back pain,
  migraines, leg and muscle cramps, postoperative pain, and neuralgia.





• Threonine

  
  Excessive use of threonine can cause the formation of too much urea
  and consequently ammonia toxicity in your body. To be used effectively,
  threonine requires vitamin B6, magnesium, and niacin. Both serine and
  glycine can be synthesized from this amino acid.





• Tryptophan

  
  Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that's used by the brain along
  with vitamin B6, niacin, and magnesium to produce serotin, a
  neurotransmitter that carries messages between the brain and one of the
  body's biochemical mechanisms of sleep. It acts as an antidepressant
  reducing anxiety and tension.





• Tyrosine

  
  Tyrosine is a neuro-transmitter and is important because of its role
  in stimulating and modifying brain activity. For instance, in order for
  phenylalanine to be effective as a mood elevator and appetite
  depressant, it must first be converted into tyrosine.
  
  
  Clinical studies have shown that tyrosine supplementation has helped
  control medication-resistant depression and anxiety, as well as enable
  patients taking amphetamines (as mood elevators or diet drugs) to
  reduce their dosages to minimal levels in a matter of weeks.
  
  
  

Known Hazards: An excess of protein can also cause the
formation of toxic substances and become a burden to our digestive
system. There has been much research done showing the negative and
dangerous results of diets with too high a protein content. It has been
deemed prudent to maintain an upper bound of no more than twice the RDA
for protein.