Proteins
are made up of molecules called amino acids, which are also known as the
"building blocks of proteins," play a variety of vital functions in
your body. However, you should know what is the role of amino acids in the
body? You require amino acids for essential functions like producing
hormones, neurotransmitters, and proteins. In foods high in protein like meat,
fish, and soybeans, amino acids are concentrated. Some people also take
specific amino acids as supplements as a natural means of enhancing mood or
athletic performance. Depending on a number of variables, they can be
classified as essential, conditionally essential, or nonessential. A crucial
component of repair, growth, and adaptation is the delivery of amino acids to
the appropriate locations.
This article explores “what is the role of amino acid in the
body”, including how they work, food sources that are high in them, and the
possible advantages of taking a supplement.
What is the role of amino acid in the body
What are amino acids and what is their role in the body?
Amino acids are thought of as the components that make up
proteins. For example, they are a major component of your muscles and tissues,
and foods high in protein like meat, fish (omega 3 fatty acids), poultry, and
eggs are made up of a variety of different amino acids. Twenty different amino
acids are required by the body to maintain health and normal function. Nine of
these amino acids are known as the essential amino acids. The other eleven
amino acids can be produced by a healthy body, so they are typically not
required to be consumed through diet.
All amino acids has a unique function in the body and can be
identified by its side chains. These amino acids are involved in almost every
biological process and aid in wound healing, hormone production, immune
function, muscle growth, energy production and more.
What are essential amino acids?
Twenty
different amino acids are crucial for your health, but only nine are considered
to be absolutely necessary. These are only necessary in certain situations,
such as during illness, pregnancy, early childhood, or trauma. While your body
can produce non-essential amino acids, it is unable to produce essential amino
acids; therefore, you must obtain them through diet.
Animal
proteins like meat, eggs, and poultry are the best sources of essential amino
acids. But some plant foods, like edamame and tofu made from soy, do contain
all nine essential amino acids.
How many different types of amino acids are there?
Your body
requires a total of twenty amino acids, which can be further broken down into
essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids.
Essential
amino acids: Your body is unable to
produce essential amino acids, you must obtain them from food sources.
There are
nine essential amino acids, each of which performs a number of important jobs
in your body:
- Lysine - Maintaining bone
density, constructing muscle, speeding up recovery from surgery or injury, and
controlling hormones, antibodies, and enzymes.
- Histidine: Promotes tissue
growth, blood cell production, and growth.
- Threonine - Essential for the
maintenance of healthy skin, teeth and promotes fat metabolism.
- Methionine - Aids in
the flexibility and health of skin and hair, along with the non-essential amino
acid cysteine. Methionine also supports healthy, strong nails.
- Valine - Necessary for
emotional stability, physical coordination, and mental clarity.
- Isoleucine - Aids in
the production of hormones, blood sugar regulation, immunity, and wound
healing. It controls energy levels and is mostly found in muscle tissue.
- Leucine: Promotes bone and
muscle growth and repair while assisting in the control of blood sugar levels.
- Phenylalanine - Aids in
the utilization of proteins, enzymes, and other amino acids by the body.
- Tryptophan - It is a
precursor to serotonin and melatonin and is essential for infants' healthy
development. A neurotransmitter called serotonin controls pain, mood, sleep,
appetite, and sleep quality.
Non-essential
amino acids: can be produced by your body, making it less necessary for you to
consume them.
The list
of non-essential amino acids consists of a total of eleven, including:
- Arginine: Arginine improves
heart health, fights fatigue, and stimulates immune function. Primarily with
the aid of arginine, glycine, and methionine, creatine monohydrate is produced
in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys.
- Alanine: According to
research, alanine helps with metabolism and gives the muscles, brain, and
central nervous system energy.
- Cysteine: The primary protein
type in hair, skin, and nails, cysteine is essential for the development of
collagen and the health of the skin.
- Glutamate: In the central nervous
system, this non-essential amino acid functions as a neurotransmitter.
- Aspartate: Aspartate aids in
the synthesis of asparagine, arginine, and lysine, among other amino acids.
- Glycine: Glycine is a
neurotransmitter that promotes the health of the brain.
- Proline: Collagen contains
proline, which supports skin elasticity, metabolism, and joint health.
- Serine: Serine is essential
for immune system health, muscle growth, and fat metabolism.
- Tyrosine: Tyrosine aids in the
synthesis of epinephrine, melanin, and thyroid hormones.
- Glutamine: According to
studies, glutamine supports a number of metabolic processes and gives the
body's cells energy.
- Asparagine:
Asparagine has diuretic properties and enhances brain and nerve cell
performance.
What are health benefits of
amino acid supplements?
While amino acids can be
found in a wide array of foods. Taking concentrated doses in supplemental form
has been linked to several health benefits, but check
your doctor first.
1. Improve
weight loss: By accelerating fat loss
and maintaining lean body mass, amino acids aid in weight loss. It has been
demonstrated that adding branched-chain essential amino acids to a diet is
particularly effective for promoting weight loss.
2. Preserve
muscle mass: Amino acids are absolutely
necessary for maintaining and growing muscles because they are the main
components of muscle tissue. Additionally, some studies have shown that taking
supplements of essential amino acids can help stop muscle loss, a common side
effect of aging and weight loss.
3. May
help with mood: An essential amino acid
known as tryptophan is important for maintaining mental health and regulating
mood. The body uses it to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter thought to
affect mood and behavior regulator.
4. Boost
skin health: Fibrous proteins, such as
keratins, collagen, and elastin, make up the skin. Amino acids either with diet
or supplement, play a part in the health and appearance of the skin because
they are essential for the synthesis of these proteins.
 |
| Amino acids boost skin health |
5. Low in
calories: We are aware that calorie restriction
is the best fat loss strategy currently available. Amino acids can be helpful
if you're trying to lose weight and cut back on calories. Because the energy
has already been released from their bonds, they contain significantly fewer
calories than other whole chain ergogenic aids.
6. Non-inflammatory:
Since amino acids do not cause inflammation, they are a good
choice for athletes who suffer from inflammatory disorders or underlying
medical conditions. IBS, diabetes, allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases,
Crohn's disease, and coeliac disease are a few examples of these.
7. Protect
immune function: The human body needs a
healthy immune system to function properly. When training volumes and
intensities are increased, such as during intense training periods, this system
is put at risk. The building blocks of all endocrine systems, important
hormones, and substances are amino acids. Taking supplements can help prevent
immune system deterioration during periods of intense training.
8. Blood
glucose levels: Blood sugar levels have been shown to benefit from amino
acids. Some type 2 diabetics who take amino acids can reduce their blood sugar
levels without having an impact on their insulin levels.
9. Energy production for endurance athletes: Taking
an amino acid supplement can help with the production of mitochondria if you
compete in an endurance sport. All of your cells' energy is contained in these.
You should be able to exert more effort while using the same amount of energy
if you have more mitochondria.
Amino acids helps energy production for athletes
10. Fatigue reduction: Some
studies suggests taking an amino acid supplement can improve your ability to
work through fatigue. Branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) may help with focus and
improve energy while preventing fatigue because they can stop serotonin
build-up in the brain, which causes a decline in drive and motivation.
11. Metabolic and digestive health aid: There
is strong evidence that EAA supplementation can help and support both digestive
and metabolic health, especially as you get older. A number of factors make
amino acids more significant as you age. If insufficient amounts of amino acids
are present from other sources, such as fats and carbohydrates, amino acids may
be used as energy.
What foods are high in amino acids?
Proteins are created when amino acids combine. The following
foods are complete protein sources:
- Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
- Eggs
- Meat: beef, lamb, venison, etc.
- Fish: salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, etc.
- Fermented Soy: tempeh, natto, miso
- Legumes: lentils, beans, peas
- Seeds: chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, etc.
- Whole Grains: quinoa, buckwheat, oats, amaranth, brown rice, etc.
- Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc.
- Dairy Products: milk, yogurt, cheese
Plant-based complete protein sources include soy and pea
protein, and other plant-based protein sources, like beans, nuts, and some
grains, are regarded as incomplete proteins since they are deficient in one or
more essential amino acids.
What are signs of deficiency
of amino acids?
Amino acid deficiency, also
known as protein deficiency, happens when you don't get enough amino acids in
your diet to meet your requirements each day. Some of the top symptoms of an
amino acid deficiency can include:
- Dry skin
- Splitting hair
- Hair loss
- Brittle nails
- Thinning hair
- Decreased muscle mass
- Impaired growth in children
- Increased appetite
- Decreased immune function
- Bone loss
- Puffiness and swelling
Conclusion:
For good
health, it is essential to consume essential amino acids. The best way for
people to make sure they are getting enough of the essential amino acids is to
eat a variety of protein-rich foods each day. Deficiency is uncommon for
individuals who are generally in good health thanks to today's modern diet and
access to a wide variety of foods. Before using supplements, people should
always consult a doctor.
FAQ:
Q1. What is the
difference between essential and non-essential amino acids?
Answer: Your body is unable to produce on its own essential amino
acids, however a diet must be consumed. Non-essential amino acids can be
produced by the body and do not need to be consumed in sufficient amounts to
support normal growth and function.
Q2. What is an amino
acid supplement?
Answer: Most people consume adequate amounts of essential amino acids
through diet, and it has some health advantages. However, they do not required
supplements. There are numerous types of supplements that vary in the
kinds they offer and the potential health advantages. Whey protein, hemp
protein, and brown rice protein are just a few of the protein powder
supplements that provide your body with many of the essential amino acids it
requires while also providing a substantial amount of protein. Two additional
simple options that can offer a good amount of protein as well as a variety of
essential amino acids are collagen and protein powder made from bone broth.
Q3. What are risks and side effects of lack of amino
acids?
Answer: Numerous aspects of health depend on essential amino acids,
and a lack of these nutrients can result in a long list of severe side effects
and symptoms. To avoid a deficiency and make sure you get enough, it's
important to eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of foods high in
protein and other essential nutrients. It is unlikely that consuming large
amounts of protein from food sources high in protein will have any negative side
effects.
Reference used:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/essential-amino-acids
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324229#takeaway
https://draxe.com/nutrition/essential-amino-acids/
https://drinkamino.com/blogs/articles/top-10-benefits-of-essential-amino-acids
https://www.medicinenet.com/benefits_and_risks_of_taking_amino_acid_supplement/article.htm
0 Comments