L I VE WELL
am All about proteins, like meat, eggs and poultry. For those on a plant-based diet, soy, quinoa and buckwheat contain all nine essential amino acids, making them complete protein sources as well.
W hat are amino acids? Discover how a supplement may help your body work more efficiently . Every cell in your body needs and uses amino acids. These are the ‘building blocks’ - organic chemical compounds composed of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and a variable side chain group - that make up proteins. Each type of protein is composed of a specific group of amino acids arranged in a particular way, and each is tailored for a specific need. Amino acids are vital, because proteins are essential to life. Protein provides the structure for every living thing, from the largest animal to the tiniest microbe.
In addition to making up proteins in your body, and therefore maintaining and repairing muscles, tendons, skin, hair, nails, organs and glands, amino acids provide many vital functions. They aid in the production of hormones, such as insulin, and regulate body fluids and enzymes that trigger important bodily functions. Some act as neurotransmitters (message-carrying brain chemicals), while others enable nutrients to be properly metabolised - low iron levels may be due to a deficiency of the amino acid tyrosine, for example. Depression can be linked to inadequate
What can go wrong? If your diet is not properly balanced - that is, if it fails to supply adequate amounts of the essential amino acids - then this will eventually manifest as some sort of physical disorder. Amino acids may also be negatively affected by infection, trauma, stress, medications, age and chemical imbalances within the body. An amino acid supplement may compensate for deficiencies and can also be taken to benefit certain health conditions, such as to help the body cope better with illness and stress and to boost mood, cognition and sleep. In particular, supplementing with BCAAs has been found to promote athletic strength performance, stamina and muscle recovery and to reduce muscle soreness; some evidence also suggests that BCAAs may be effective in stimulating body fat loss. Check the label of the individual product for the recommended dosage, because potency, formula and timing of dosage will vary between brands.
stores of tryptophan and the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) valine, isoleucine and leucine. BCAAs are amino acids which help to supply energy to muscle tissue. Additionally, the BCAA leucine is essential for protein synthesis and muscle repair, regulation of blood sugar levels,
The ABCs of aminos There are two types of amino acids: non- essential and essential. Nonessential amino acids (NAAs) include alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, citrulline, cysteine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamic acid, glutamine,
Every cell in your body needs and uses amino acids. These are the ‘building blocks’ that make up proteins.
glycine, ornithine, proline, serine, taurine and tyrosine. Essential amino acids (EAAs) include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Being called ‘nonessential’ does not mean that they are not necessary, only that they do not need to be obtained through the diet because the body can make them as required. EAAs, however, cannot be made by your body and must be obtained from food. Good sources of EAAs are animal
wound healing and the production of growth hormones, while the BCAA isoleucine is also important for immune function, haemoglobin production and energy regulation. Additional benefits provided by individual amino acids include: alanine aids in glucose metabolism and energy production, while asparagine maintains balance in the nervous system. Arginine is important for muscle metabolism and also widens blood vessels and helps to lower elevated blood pressure.
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ISSUE 55 • 2019
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