SOME 40,000 different proteins – which include blood cells, enzymes and some hormones – are found in the human body, but they are all made from just 20 amino acids.
The roles played by amino acids are so crucial to our health that a separate branch of nutritional therapy known as “amino therapy” is being developed using components of protein to treat or reverse chronic health disorders.
Soy isolate, egg white, fish, lean meat, and livestock are some of the food that contain the complete range of the amino acids required by our body.
It is important to note that protein is not just meat or fish since our muscles are not entirely made from protein.
In fact, we do not need to consume a lot of protein to build solid muscles if regular resistance exercise is incorporated into our lifestyle.
Clinical observations suggest that most people consume too much refined starches and sugars, but inadequate amounts of quality protein on a regular basis.
The types of amino acids are:
Essential amino acids
Histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine are amino acids that cannot be produced by our body and must come from our diet.
Non-essential amino acids
Alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, praline and serine can be produced in sufficient quantities by our body from the essential amino acids delivered via food or supplements.
Conditionally essential amino acids
Aminos in this category include arginine, cysteine, cystine, glutamine, taurine and tyrosine.
Our body cannot produce them in sufficient quantities in times of elevated stress such as during fever, illness, dieting, and chemotherapy.
Other lesser known amino acids gaining increasing prominence include GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), carnitine, glutathione, taurine, and carnosine.
Stem cell production can be raised, for instance, by carnosine (Bickford et al, 2006).
Amino acids can be used in complementary medicine to address the following conditions: phase II detoxification (conjugation); chronic fatigue; appetite control; immune dysfunction; mental/emotional problems; and hyperactivity in children.
Other conditions include depression; anxiety disorders; frequent headaches; mood swings; ADD/ADHD; reduced skeletal muscle mass; neurological disorders; low metabolism; and dyslipidemia.
Amino acids can also be used for alcoholism; obsessive compulsive disorder; seizures; carbohydrate and sugar cravings; panic attacks; insomnia; hypertension; and glutathione depletion.
Effective liver detoxification involves processes such as glutathione conjugation, amino acid conjugation and sulfation.
Our liver uses cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine to generate its own potent antioxidant (glutathione) to help neutralise free radicals or toxicity in our body.
L-arginine is widely used to lower elevated blood pressure. Food rich in arginine include nuts (especially almonds), chicken/turkey breast, soy isolate and coconut.
Higher daily intake of vegetable protein from soy protein/isolate, beans, nuts and lentils is also associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Soy isolate containing isoflavonoids inhibits atherosclerosis by inhibiting both cell adhesion and cell proliferation in lesion formation (Raines and Ross, 1995).
L-tryptophan acts as a mood stabiliser, helps with insomnia, boosts the release of growth hormone, and controls appetite.
Foods rich in tryptophan include turkey, chicken, meat, fish, beans, dairy products, eggs, rice, corn, nuts, and seeds.
Taurine is essential for children. In adults, its level is depleted by elevated stress and so it is conditionally essential.
Made from sulfur-based aminos cysteine and methionine, taurine deficiency may manifest anxiety, seizures, hyperactivity, and impaired brain functions.
Foods containing taurine are brewer’s yeast, dairy products, eggs, fish, meat and seafood.
Supplementation is not recommended if aspirin or any salicylates are prescribed.
Amino acids are more accurately measured or tested from plasma (blood) samples rather than urine.
If tissue protein metabolism is decreased, it can lower our plasma amino acid levels too.
You may also have your protein turnover worked out by a licensed nutritional therapist.
Views expressed are those of the author, who’s president of the Federation of Complementary & Natural Medical Associations, and not necessarily those of the professional bodies and government committees of which he’s a member.
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/156268
The roles played by amino acids are so crucial to our health that a separate branch of nutritional therapy known as “amino therapy” is being developed using components of protein to treat or reverse chronic health disorders.
Soy isolate, egg white, fish, lean meat, and livestock are some of the food that contain the complete range of the amino acids required by our body.
It is important to note that protein is not just meat or fish since our muscles are not entirely made from protein.
In fact, we do not need to consume a lot of protein to build solid muscles if regular resistance exercise is incorporated into our lifestyle.
Clinical observations suggest that most people consume too much refined starches and sugars, but inadequate amounts of quality protein on a regular basis.
The types of amino acids are:
Essential amino acids
Histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine are amino acids that cannot be produced by our body and must come from our diet.
Non-essential amino acids
Alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, praline and serine can be produced in sufficient quantities by our body from the essential amino acids delivered via food or supplements.
Conditionally essential amino acids
Aminos in this category include arginine, cysteine, cystine, glutamine, taurine and tyrosine.
Our body cannot produce them in sufficient quantities in times of elevated stress such as during fever, illness, dieting, and chemotherapy.
Other lesser known amino acids gaining increasing prominence include GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), carnitine, glutathione, taurine, and carnosine.
Stem cell production can be raised, for instance, by carnosine (Bickford et al, 2006).
Amino acids can be used in complementary medicine to address the following conditions: phase II detoxification (conjugation); chronic fatigue; appetite control; immune dysfunction; mental/emotional problems; and hyperactivity in children.
Other conditions include depression; anxiety disorders; frequent headaches; mood swings; ADD/ADHD; reduced skeletal muscle mass; neurological disorders; low metabolism; and dyslipidemia.
Amino acids can also be used for alcoholism; obsessive compulsive disorder; seizures; carbohydrate and sugar cravings; panic attacks; insomnia; hypertension; and glutathione depletion.
Effective liver detoxification involves processes such as glutathione conjugation, amino acid conjugation and sulfation.
Our liver uses cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine to generate its own potent antioxidant (glutathione) to help neutralise free radicals or toxicity in our body.
L-arginine is widely used to lower elevated blood pressure. Food rich in arginine include nuts (especially almonds), chicken/turkey breast, soy isolate and coconut.
Higher daily intake of vegetable protein from soy protein/isolate, beans, nuts and lentils is also associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Soy isolate containing isoflavonoids inhibits atherosclerosis by inhibiting both cell adhesion and cell proliferation in lesion formation (Raines and Ross, 1995).
L-tryptophan acts as a mood stabiliser, helps with insomnia, boosts the release of growth hormone, and controls appetite.
Foods rich in tryptophan include turkey, chicken, meat, fish, beans, dairy products, eggs, rice, corn, nuts, and seeds.
Taurine is essential for children. In adults, its level is depleted by elevated stress and so it is conditionally essential.
Made from sulfur-based aminos cysteine and methionine, taurine deficiency may manifest anxiety, seizures, hyperactivity, and impaired brain functions.
Foods containing taurine are brewer’s yeast, dairy products, eggs, fish, meat and seafood.
Supplementation is not recommended if aspirin or any salicylates are prescribed.
Amino acids are more accurately measured or tested from plasma (blood) samples rather than urine.
If tissue protein metabolism is decreased, it can lower our plasma amino acid levels too.
You may also have your protein turnover worked out by a licensed nutritional therapist.
Views expressed are those of the author, who’s president of the Federation of Complementary & Natural Medical Associations, and not necessarily those of the professional bodies and government committees of which he’s a member.
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/156268
