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Amino Acid Supplements have been gaining attention due to the potential benefits for overall health. However, one area that is often overlooked is their impact on gut health.
What are amino acids and what are their functions?
What is the difference between amino acids and peptides?
What are the benefits of amino acid supplements?
How do amino acid supplements support our gut health?
And lastly, how do you incorporate amino supplements into your daily routine and are there potential side effects?
[Video Transcript Below + Supplement Links Discussed In Video]
Hi, I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a registered dietitian at Flusso Nutrients where we provide supplement education and professional quality supplement options for you to make the world of nutrition supplements a little bit easier to navigate.
As always, be sure to check with your main nutrition literate healthcare provider before starting anything new. As we can't know your full medical history to provide a personalized recommendation. So without further ado, let's jump into today's topic.
What are amino acids and what are their functions?
Amino acids are organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins. They're composed of a central carbon atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a side chain that is unique to each amino acid. This side chain gives the amino acid its distinct properties and determines its function.
Now, there are 20 different amino acids that are characterized into three separate groups, essential amino acids, non-essential amino acids, and conditionally essential amino acids.
Essential Amino Acids
Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized by the human body and need to be obtained through the diet or supplementation. These include histidine, iso, leucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenyl, alanine, thianine, tryptophan, and valine.
Non-Essential Amino Acids
Non-essential amino acids can be synthesized by the body, and these include alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspar acid, acid, cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline sine, and tyrosine.
Conditionally Essential Amino Acids
Conditionally essential amino acids are non-essential that become essential during stress or illness. These include arginine, cysteine, glutamine, tyrosine, glycine, proline and sine.
Now, amino acids play crucial roles in various processes in the body, including protein synthesis, hormone and enzyme production, neurotransmitter production, tissue repair and growth, immune system support, as well as transporting nutrients.
What is the difference between amino acids and peptides?
Amino acids are single molecules that serve as the building blocks for peptides and proteins. Peptides are short chains of amino acids that are linked together by peptide bonds that often act as signaling molecules or hormones. Peptides are act as an intermediate step between individual amino acids and full-sized proteins.
What are the benefits of amino acid supplements?
So amino acid supplements offer a wide range of potential benefits, which is why there are popular choice for individuals really wanting to optimize their health.
So the first benefit is muscle growth and recovery. So one of the most, well-known applications of amino acid supplements is their ability to support muscle growth and recovery. Certain amino acids like leucine, iso, leucine, and valine, which are collectively known as branch chain amino acids, play a role in stimulating muscle protein synthesis and reducing muscle breakdown.
Another benefit is that it can support our mood and sleep through their role in neurotransmitter production, which we know impacts our mood and sleep. Tryptophan and tyrosine, for example, are precursors to those neurotransmitters.
Another benefit is our skin and hair health. So prolene, glycine and cysteine contribute to the production of collagen and carotene, which we know is important for skin and hair health.
The next benefit is immune function. So glutamine and arginine play a role in supporting our immune function by promoting the growth and the activity of our immune cells.
And then the last benefit is our gut health.
So how do amino acid supplements promote and support our gut health?
The first way that these supplements can support gut health is through intestinal barrier function.
So amino acids play a role in maintaining the integrity of our intestinal lining. Glutamine serves as the primary fuel source for our intestinal cells and helps to strengthen that intestinal lining. It's also been shown to really help with GI disorders like IBS and IBD. Theanine is an amino acid that is needed in the production of mucin, which is also vital for maintaining a gut barrier integrity.
The next benefit is that it can help reduce inflammation as some amino acids have anti-inflammatory properties, tryptophan, phenyl alanine and tyrosine supplementation has been shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits for the gut.
And then lastly, antioxidant production. So glycine is an amino acid that is utilized by the small intestinal small intestine cells to synthesize glutathione, which is our master antioxidant in the body that can protect gut cells from oxidative stress. So while amino acid supplements show promise in supporting our gut health, it's important to note that effectiveness is going to vary depending on the person.
It's going to depend on the types of amino acids they're using, the dosages they're using, as well as their individual health conditions. So as always, be sure to check with your healthcare provider to make sure that these supplements are right for you.
How do you incorporate amino acid supplements into your daily routine?
And are there potential side effects? So the first thing you want to do is make sure that you're choosing a high quality supplement from a reputable brand and follow the recommendations and instructions by the manufacturer or your provider.
Now these supplements come in powders and capsules and tablets, so you want to choose the form that's going to work best for you. Look for amino acid blends that contain the specific amino acids that you are looking for as not all amino acid supplements are going to contain the same ingredients. And as always, start with a low dose and gradually increase as needed and pay attention to how your body responds.
While amino acid supplements are generally considered safe if taken at the recommended dosages, there are some potential side effects to be aware of. So high dosages of certain amino acids like branch chain amino acids and glutamine may cause digestive symptoms like gas, bloating, or diarrhea.
In some individuals, some amino acids may interact with medications making them less effective or increasing their risk of adverse effects. So as always, check with your doctor, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or are currently taking medications.
And then lastly, if you have any liver or kidney issues, it's always recommended to check with your doctor before starting anything new in regards to supplements or medications.
To wrap up our topic for today,
Amino acid supplements have many potential benefits including muscle function and growth, hair and skin health, mood, sleep and immune function. And they may also contribute to gut health by decreasing inflammation, promoting intestinal barrier function, and protecting the gut cells from oxidative stress and damage.
Remember, although amino acid supplements are beneficial, they are most effective when combined with proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and regular exercise. If you're interested in trying an amino acid supplement, I'll have one, a quality one linked below in the description box.
That's it for today's topic. If you liked this video, please hit the like button and subscribe for more nutrition videos. Let us know in the comments if you've tried amino acid supplements or if you've had any questions.
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Thank you for watching. I'll see you next time. Bye.
Check out the high-quality supplements we discussed in this video - links below for your convenience!
1) Amino Blend by Progressive Labs: create an account here, then search the name "Amino Blend by Progressive Labs" - https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients
2) ALL PROFESSIONAL QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS: https://flussonutrients.nutridyn.com & https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients