Humans only absorb 50% of amino acids from the foods they eat. There are 9 essential amino acids – ones the body cannot make on their own and 11 non-essential aminos – ones the body can make on it’s own. Since amino acids are the building blocks of proteins & have many functions in the body how can you be sure you are getting enough of them to keep the body running in tip top shape? In this episode of The Health Fix Podcast Dr. Jannine Krause talks about the most useful amino acids for your health.
What You’ll Learn in This Podcast:
- Why supplementing with amino acids is great for your gut health
- What amino acids are best for your skin
- How to improve your brain function & mood with amino acids
- Why injecting amino acids for weight loss is ideal
- How to use amino acids for stress & workout recovery
Resources from the Show:
Essential 9 – amino acids your body is unable to make on it’s own
Non-Essential Aminos – 11 – amino acids your body can make on it’s own
Supplements recommended: Essential 8: Kion Ben Greenfield’s Amino Powder or Thorne Aminos Powder
Essential Aminos:
Histidine – antioxidant
Tryptophan – sleep + mood
Lysine – antiviral & improves skin integrity
Methionine – metabolism
Threonine – immune + connective tissue
Leucine – builds muscle
Isoleucine – builds muscle
Valine – muscle recovery + endurance
Phenynlalanine – hormone and nerve production- fat burning 3g – pre-workout increased fat burn
Non- Essential Aminos
alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine
NAC – antioxidant, reduces cough due to being able to break up thick mucus, can bind up acetaminophen in tylenol overdose. Has ability to break down mucin proteins that bind to make thick mucus. 1200 mg a day
Brain/Nervous System Aminos:
Phosphatidylserine – is a phospholipid for cognitive support, memory loss and when you’re really stressed out and can’t focus. It covers and protects your nerve cells aka neurons in your brain and carries messages between them. Organ meats are rich in PS, as are beef, pork & poultry, eggs, white beans and soy-based proteins (non-processed and non-gmo). PS enhances the activation of prothrombin to thrombin, which is involved in the clotting process so do not take this with blood thinners.
Phosphatidylcholine – helps the liver function and provides a reservoir for choline to make acetylcholine the neurotransmitter for nerve health.
L-theanine – amino acid from green & black tea that’s calming for the nervous system – up to 1600 mg a day
Tryptophan – anti-aging, serotonin precursor – dairy, turkey, nuts/seeds
Tyrosine – dopamine precursor – sesame seeds, poultry, dairy
Glycine – prevents gut cell injury – may be why it helps with sleep post exercise due to gut brain axis – 4 grams a night
Taurine – Taurine promotes cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, electrolyte balance, hearing function, and immune modulation. In animal research, taurine protected against heart failure, reducing mortality by nearly 80%. Okinaowan study related to longevity – restoring insulin sensitivity, preventing obesity, and inhibiting arterial thickening – 1.5grams a day.
Athletic Recovery, Circulation and Human Growth Hormone Production:
L-Ornithine – increases arginine production – this helps with ammonia excretion by converting it to urea in the liver – increases energy, some studies note it improves liver cirrhosis & heart function – relieves stress and improves fatigue; has effect on HPA axis to attenuate stress reaction via GABA pathways; liver detoxifier – 500 mg to 3 grams a day
L-Arginine – converts to nitric oxide and it serves as an NT to relax blood vessels & increase circulation
L-Lysine – anti viral; reduces inflammation response and cytokine response. reduced anxiety, bone production benefit to osteoporosis 3 g a day; need lysine to form collagen so helps with skin elasticity and anti-aging
BCAA’s – Valine, leucine & isoleucine – all essential aminos – helpful in preventing post workout muscle soreness; found to be useful in the treatment of liver cirrhosis, kidney failure, wound healing, exercise fatigue, stimulation of insulin production
L-Glutamine – helps with stress induced cell irritation
Glycine – helps prevent GI cell injury & sleep enhancement post workouts
Digestive Health:
– L-glutamine – great for digestive lining repair 3-15 grams a day of glutamine powder
– Proline- helps build connections between cells
– Glutamate helps promote the colonization of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Roseburia – two common deficient bacteria you want in your gut for gut health
– Arginine – increases blood flow to the gut lining as it helps in nitric oxide production, it helps reduce inflammation and histamine production on the gut & it reduces damage made to gut lining from mycotoxins.
– Glycine – protection against GI cell injury
– Threonine – maintains gut immunological function by increasing mucin to maintain gut barrier integrity
– Methionine and Cysteine – boost and regulate the immunity of the gut. Have the ability to increase secretory IgA in a deficient gut
Aminos for Skin Health:
Arginine – boosts circulation to play a visible skin damage.
Histidine- has antioxidant ability and can soothe skin.
Methionine -neutralizes damaging substances before they can harm skin.
Lysine – helps improve skin integrity.
Proline, leucine, and glycine – reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Aminos in skin care pair well with glycerin, ceramides, various peptides, and hyaluronic acid for maximal anti-aging effect.
Aminos for Weight Loss:
MIC injections with B12 – methionine helps with appetite, glucose metabolism, and clearing toxins from fat deposit. Methionine is a methyl donor – so it is like an aid in the fat metabolism process – it hands off molecules so fat metabolism happens; Methionine helps the liver maintain the optimal ability to process fatty acids.
Inositol helps the glucose receptors to get it in cells & metabolize it vs store it; Inositol may be effective in reducing insulin resistance
Choline – reduces fat deposition and accelerates the lipid transport, reduces leptin & subsequently hunger – so it reduces body fat and makes you feel full longer; choline supplementation may increase the utilization of carnitine and increase the removal of fatty acids
LIPO-C – MIC B12 + B1 + B5 & Carnitine- best used as an intramuscular injection or injected into areas of fat deposition.
Thiamine B1 – tingling/numbness hands/feet & loss of muscle reflexes BUT in this case it helps the body convert carbs to energy
Pantothenic Acid B5 – adrenals, fat/carb burn; Carnitine promotes fat burning. Caution with using carnitine if you have elevated homocysteine levels.
References:
Physiological Effects of Dietary Amino Acids on Gut Health and Functions of Swine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6579841/ –
Effects & Mechanisms of Taurine as a Therapeutic Agent
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5933890/
Enjoy The Show? Never Miss An Episode
Subscribe, Rate and Review the show in iTunes
Subscribe via Stitcher or RSS feed
Send us feedback via Email
Leave a comment below
