The Body’s Unsung Heroes - the Idiot’s Guide to Amino Acids
Our bodies are made of protein which is made of amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of life. Without amino acids the cells which make up our body would quite literally fail to hold their shape. All our cognitive processes depend on aminos to function. In other words, without aminos we would be nothing more than a brainless blob of unconscious matter. We’d also be dead.
So you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that amino acids are important to us. All the same most of us don’t know much about them, why we need them and what they can do for us. They tend to have long impenetrable chemical names which turn us off. Most of us know something about vitamins, don’t we? It’d be much simpler if we just labelled them like vitamins, Amino 1, Amino 2, Amino 3, etc., wouldn’t it? Alas, it’s unlikely to happen and there are probably very good reasons (which totally escape me) why we have to use names like Gamma amino-butyric acid or gamma-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine.
What I’d like to do here is shed a little light on a complex subject the subject by keeping it simple as I can and take a run around the more important of them. It’s hard to be excited about aminos I know, but try. They are real heroes.
Don’t be phased by all this “L-” stuff. All it means is it’s the kind you want. If you see a “D-” in front of it, you don’t want it.
So here goes.There are 29 amino acids in all, which fall into two groups. Essential amino acids, which are obtained from your diet and Non-essential amino acids, which the body is able to manufacture from other sources. Having said that, there is of course a third group called Conditional amino acids, which I suppose are somwhere in between. Aminos are needed to produce everthing, all the genes, enzymes, hormones and body fluids you have in you. They also act as neurotransmitters and as pre-cursors to neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, sending and receiving messages to the brain.
All the Usual Suspects.......
If you are deficient in amino acids your health will be compromised and if you are seriously deficient you would be very sick indeed. Apart from not getting them in your diet there are many external causes that can lead to a deficiency. These include all the usual suspects: pollution, chemicals added to processed food, hormones and drugs injected into meat products, agricultural pesticides, smoking and consuming alcohol. So there you go. If you can avoid that lot......, you’re living in a different planet from me. Another less villainous reason to be deficient is if you are vegetarian.
Let’s begin with Carnosine, which is one of the most important antiaging compound there is. If taken in supplemental doses it is the safest, cheapest and most effective means of protecting against the aging process. It is also a potent antioxidant. Carnosine helps prevent neurological degeneration, brain circulatory deficit, Alzheimer’s, cell aging, muscle atrophy and the accumulation of damaged proteins, DNA damage, and oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol. It protects the skin against aging and the eyes against cataracts, and it promotes wound healing. The only thing remotely similar is an expensive European drug called aminoguanidine. If you wish to supplement with Carnosine you need to take a dose of 500mg 2 to 3 times p/day. Do not be tempted by anyone trying to sell you bottles of 50 mg and lesser doses. You are being duped. Such a small amount of carnosine is degraded by your enzymes before it can do you any good at all.
Now let’s cover L-Arginine and L-Ornithine together, since Ornithine turns into Arginine in the body. When taken in doses larger than you can obtain from your diet and on an empty stomach these amino acids can help cure hypertension and promote arterial health. If you suffer from hypertension ask your doctor about using Arginine to reduce blood pressure. If nothing else it could help reduce the medication you need to take. If your doctor obviously doesn’t have a clue about any of this, gently suggest they find out if you’re happy with them, otherwise consider taking your custom elsewhere.
The Skinny on GH
The other major benefit of these two is they promote the release of natural growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary gland. Like all hormones, GH levels decrease as we age and we all want more of it. Along with DHEA and other hormones increased GH keeps us feeling good and looking young. That means more energy, improved immune system, a greater sense of well being, increased muscle tone and loss of body fat, better sleep and younger skin, to name just a few of its benefits. But GH is a complicated subject and there is a lot of hype promoting dubious or overpriced products. The safety of the direct intake of GH is still much debated among anti-aging doctors. The cheapest, safest and most effective means of producing GH, other than injections, is by exercise (which is free), supplemental DHEA and the amino acids Arginine, Ornithine, Glutamine and Glycine (which are cheap) in what is called a secretogue formulation. Such a GH releasing formula should never cost more than US$40.00. Anything more than that and you are being conned.
Always take antioxidants with Arginine. Cautions: diabetics should use GH releasers with care; Arginine and Ornithine can reactivate latent herpes virus. Pregnant women, lactating women, children and teenagers, plus those with certain psychoses should not use GH or GH releasers.
L-Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine. Carnitine is the most effective antiaging therapy to maintain youthful cellular energy there is, protecting cells against aging. Acetyl-L-Carnitine is simply the more absorbable form. Carnitine is used to treat low energy levels, congestive heart disease and other conditions associated with low cellular energy. It is also effective in treating a wide range of diseases including the neurological diseases of aging, immune dysfunction and diabetic complications. Carnitine is very safe and the only caveat is that it may have a stimulating effect and should not be taken in the evening. Carnitine is sometimes prescribed under the brand name Carnitor at a much greater price that you can buy exactly the same thing over-the-counter as the amino acid Carnitine. Hey, that’s just the way Big Pharma is.......
L-Cysteine is a conditionally essential amino acid and one of only three sulfur-containing amino acids, the other two being Taurine and L-Methionine. Cysteine is an antioxidant which helps prevent liver disease and helps thicken hair. N-Acetyl-Cysteine is the more efficiently absorbed form of Cysteine, which has all of the above good effects. It is also effective in combating viruses, protecting the liver and breaking up pulmonary and bronchial mucus. It alsoboosts cellular Glutathione (see below).
Glutathione (gamma-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine, to give it it’s full name), is one of the body’s most important and powerful antioxidants. A major function of vitamin C is to keep glutathione in reduced form so these three amino acids, along with Glycine, can continue to have their powerful free-radical destruction effects. When taking any of these you should triple your intake of Vitamin C.
There are no known adverse effects.
Glutamine supplies energy to the brain. That make it pretty essential in my book. It is another all-round good guy. It combats the effects of too much alcohol; alleviates hypoglycemia; reduces fatigue; improves exercise endurance; releases growth hormone (GH); protects the liver and intestines; maintains a healthy intestinal tract; and it serves as fuel for the heart muscle. Taken on an empty stomach there are no side effects other than possible over-stimulation if taken before bedtime.
L-Lysine is an essential amino acid that is often deficient in vegetarian diets. It regularises blood sugars which causes premature aging. It helps prevent coronary heart disease and arterial plaque. Proline also assists in this respect. Lysine is also a GH releaser. Best taken on an empty stomach, there are no known adverse effects.
L-Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid which converts into L-Tyrosine. In the brain these become dopamine and norepinephrine, the “feel good” hormones that are depleted by stress, overwork and certain drugs. That is why Tyrosine is used to alleviate some forms depression. It also brings a sense of well being and contentment. These effects are further enhanced with the addition of Vit C and B6. Phenylalanine/Tyrosine are also used for the relief of pain. Best taken on an empty stomach and not before bedtime. Melanoma cancer patients should not take them.
Taurine is vital for the functioning of the central nervous system. It is deficient in many diets including vegetarian and not produced by the body in sufficient quantities by people suffering a wide variety of illnesses. It prevents cataracts, boosts cardiac output in cases of congestive heart failure and helps control epileptic seizures. It is non-toxic and well absorbed and may be taken any time.
Branched Chain Amino Acids : (L-Valine, L-Leucine & L-Isoleucine). BCAA’s enhance liver and muscle function. They are used to treat alcoholic cirrhosis and to protect the liver. They are also particularly effective in repairing muscle tissue after exercise through and are a key part of maintaining or building lean tissue. Big with athletes and people into fitness.
GABA (gamma-amino-butyric- acid) and Theanine. GABA is an neurotransmitter producing relaxation. It is very helpful in initiating and producing deeper and more beneficial states of sleep. Theanine produces tranquillising effects and a feeling of relaxation without causing drowsiness. It enhances the ability to learn and remember, to concentrate and focus thought. It also helps to lower high blood pressure.
Glycine is the most ubiquitous of all amino acids. It combines with many toxins rendering them harmless and then excreted. Glycine also has a calming effect on the brain and is a GH releaser.
L-Methionine is an antioxidant found in meat and dairy products and thus particularly recommended for vegetarians. It improves the tone and pliability of skin; strengthens nails and hair; chelates and eliminates heavy metals from the body; increases levels of SAMe and alleviates depression and premature ejaculation. Good for the liver too. Best taken with a Vit B complex with adequate magnesium on an empty stomach.
Tryptophan converts into melatonin and is a key brain amino acid. It has a positive effect on sleep, relaxation and a sense of well being. Deficiencies can lead to sleep disorders, cognitive defects and Alzheimers. Due to a shipment of genetically modified defective Tryptophan imported from Japan in the early 1990’s, which poisoned a number of people, this natural substance which is harmless got a bum rap from the FDA who used the incident as an excuse to ban it for all time in the USA (funny that, when you know how many people are killed every year by properly prescribed medicines). Tryptophan is still used widely and safely by doctors in Europe and elsewhere. In the US people now use 5-HTP, a substance with much the same effects.
These are the major amino acids with the best and most commonly used supplemental effects. Just so you know, others include: Aspartic Acid, Aspargine, Glutamic Acid, Histidine, Homocysteine (Note: elevated levels of this can cause heart disease), Hydroxyproline, and Serine.
Keeping it Simple
You can see why amino acids are vital to your health. You should consider supplementing your diet with the appropriate amino acids in the following cases:
- if you believe you are deficient
- if you don’t eat meat or dairy foods
- as a Growth Hormone releaser & for all the associated
benefits
- to protect the liver if compromised
- for overall antiaging benefits, skin, hair etc.
- for cellular energy
- for improved cognitive function
- as anti-stress/depression agents
- for sleep and relaxation purposes
There are various formulations on the market combining amino acids for whichever purpose is required, or you can take them individually.
There! I’ve done my bit on aminos. that was exciting wasn’t it? Over to you. If all that I’ve said above is clear and you now understand all that amino acids can do for you and why, you almost certainly don’t need to take extra aminos for cognitive function. For most of us, it is somewhere to start.
Paracelsus
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