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Amino Acids are the building blocks of the body.
Besides building cells and repairing tissue, amino acids form
antibodies to combat invading bacteria & viruses; they are
part of the enzyme & hormonal system; they build nucleoproteins
(RNA & DNA); they carry oxygen throughout the body and participate
in muscle activity. When protein is broken down by digestion
the result is 22 known amino acids.
As the building blocks of
protein, amino acids are vital to health. Next to water, amino
acids in the form of proteins make up the greatest portion
of our body weight. They comprise tendons, muscles and ligaments;
organs and glands; hair and nails; important bodily fluids,
and are a necessary part of every cell in the body.
There are over 20 amino
acids, separated into two categories - essential and non-essential.
Essential amino acids are those that cannot be manufactured
by your body, hence, it is essential that you obtain them
from your diet. Non-essential amino acids can be manufactured
by your body, however, your body must have the right combination
of essential amino acids and supporting nutrients to optimize
healthy protein maintenance, so supplementation may be desirable.
Twenty amino acids are needed to build the various proteins
used in the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissues.
Eleven of these amino acids can be made by the body itself,
while the other nine (called essential amino acids) must come
from the diet. The essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine,
lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan,
and valine. Another amino acid, histidine, is considered semi-essential
because the body does not always require dietary sources of
it. The nonessential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine,
aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine,
proline, serine, and tyrosine. Other amino acids, such as
carnitine, are used by the body in ways other than protein-building
and are often used therapeutically.
Who is likely to be deficient?
Dieters, some strict vegetarian
body builders, and anyone consuming an inadequate number of
calories may not be consuming adequate amounts of amino acids.
In these cases, the body will break down the protein in muscle
tissue and use those amino acids to meet the needs of more
important organs or will simply not build more muscle mass
despite increasing exercise.
Amino acids are not only absolutely
integral to life, but they can have a profound impact upon
how clearly we think and how well we feel.
Benefits of Amino Acids
• builds cells and repairs
tissue
• assists with wound healing
• increases athletic performance
| Authors Details: Amino Acids - Chester
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