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Amino Acids

Proteins in our bodies are manufactured through the use of “building blocks” called amino acids. In our tissue proteins there are twenty such unique building blocks, but only eleven of them can be synthesized naturally by the body.

Author: Mark Adams

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In general terms, our bodies usually produce what they need to maintain health and vitality - but not always.

Proteins in our bodies are manufactured through the use of “building blocks” called amino acids. In our tissue proteins there are twenty such unique building blocks, but only eleven of them can be synthesized naturally by the body. The other nine amino acids must be furnished through outside sources.

All twenty amino acids are indispensible for cell growth, cell nutrition and organ function, and all can be ingested. However, in the case of 11 of them, even if they are not ingested they can be synthesized by the body. So we use the term “non-essential” to describe these 11, because if we do not supply them through diet or supplements, the body will still provide them. These 11 are alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine.

The other nine - histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, theronine, tryptophan, and valine - cannot be synthesized, and these are therefore termed “essential” nutrients and must be obtained through diet or supplements. Indeed, under certain conditions, such as severe trauma or otherwise impaired metabolisms, amino acids that would ordinarily be synthesized may not be. It is therefore easy to see that we should be paying attention to the fact that our bodies may need some conscious assistance when it comes to the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

Amino acids are required by the body in specific proportions, but even if we were to provide the body with a surplus of amino acids, they would be converted to sources of energy and would not be wasted.

We supply our bodies with amino acids through the ingestion of food or supplements, and certain sources have a more balanced amino acid “pattern”, and can thus be used more efficiently than others. Remember, we said that the amino acids will be used in specific proportions, so a deficiency in one or more specific amino acids will result in an inefficient use of all the others. Of course, the amino acids must not only be ingested, but absorbed and assimilated before they can be activated and used by the tissues.

Very simply put, all amino acid needs will be met if we consume excesses of proteins, thereby guaranteeing that we have met the minimum requirements for all 20. However, if the amino acid intake is not sufficient, tissue growth rates can be depressed. It is also important to remember that unlike fats or starch, the body does not conserve or store amino acids - they must be replaced every day. The use of supplements may be the best way to insure that our bodies are receiving the ideal levels of amino acids every day.

We should be aware that we ignore amino acids - particularly the essentials - at the peril of our own poor health. By becoming knowledgeable and aware, we can insure that our bodies are getting the nutrients they need on a regular basis.

About Author

Mark Adams, the MD of company Lifeforce International is two decades old and has great respect and admiration for each of its members. The compensation plan has been created to maximize the income potential for everyone

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