3.

Importance of Essential Amino Acids:

Essential amino acids are needed for vital processes like the building of proteins and synthesis of
hormones and neurotransmitters. The nine essential amino acids can’t be produced by your body
and must be obtained through your diet. They may also be taken in supplement form for a natural
way to boost athletic performance or improve mood.
The nine essential amino acids perform a number of important and varied jobs in your body:
1. Phenylalanine: a precursor for the neurotransmitters tyrosine, dopamine, epinephrine and
norepinephrine. It plays an integral role in the structure and function of proteins and enzymes
and the production of other amino acids.
2. Valine: one of three branched-chain amino acids, meaning it has a chain branching off to one
side of its molecular structure. Valine helps stimulate muscle growth and regeneration and is
involved in energy production.
3. Threonine: a principal part of structural proteins such as collagen and elastin, which are
important components of the skin and connective tissue. It also plays a role in fat metabolism
and immune function.
4. Tryptophan: Though often associated with causing drowsiness, tryptophan has many other
functions. It’s needed to maintain proper nitrogen balance and is a precursor to serotonin, a
neurotransmitter that regulates your appetite, sleep and mood.
5. Methionine: plays an important role in metabolism and detoxification. It’s also necessary for
tissue growth and the absorption of zinc and selenium, minerals that are vital to your health.
6. Leucine: a branched-chain amino acid like valine that is critical for protein synthesis and
muscle repair. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels, stimulates wound healing and
produces growth hormones.
7. Isoleucine: The last of the three branched-chain amino acids, isoleucine is involved in muscle
metabolism and is heavily concentrated in muscle tissue. It’s also important for immune
function, hemoglobin production and energy regulation.
8. Lysine: plays major roles in protein synthesis, hormone and enzyme production and the
absorption of calcium. It’s also important for energy production, immune function and the
production of collagen and elastin.
9. Histidine: used to produce histamine, a neurotransmitter that is vital to immune response,
digestion, sexual function and sleep-wake cycles. It’s critical for maintaining the myelin sheath,
a protective barrier that surrounds your nerve cells.
Conditionally Essential Amino Acids
There are several nonessential amino acids that are classified as conditionally essential. These
are considered to be essential only under specific circumstances such as illness or stress. For
example, although arginine is considered nonessential, your body can’t meet demands when
fighting certain diseases like cancer. That’s why arginine must be supplemented through diet in
order to meet your body’s needs in certain situations.
Health Benefits of Supplementing with Essential Amino Acids
A. May Help Improve Mood and Sleep
Tryptophan is needed for the production of serotonin, a chemical that acts as a neurotransmitter
in your body. Serotonin is an essential regulator of mood, sleep and behaviors.
B. Can Boost Exercise Performance
The three branched-chain essential amino acids are widely used to alleviate fatigue, improve
athletic performance and stimulate muscle recovery after exercise.
C. Can Prevent Muscle Loss
Essential amino acids have been found to prevent muscle breakdown and preserve lean body
mass.
D. May Promote Weight Loss
Some human and animal studies have demonstrated that branched-chain essential amino acids
may be effective in stimulating fat loss.
Problems associated with inadequate essential amino acid intake:
1. Growth and Developmental Problems
Lysine is an amino acid that plays a vital role in ensuring normal growth and development. It
helps your body absorb calcium, which is needed for bone health. It is also needed for the
manufacture of collagen, which is required for building connective tissues such as tendons,
cartilage and skin. Lysine also indirectly helps process fats into energy and lower cholesterol.
Individuals who fail to get enough lysine in their diets may experience slow growth, anemia,
reproductive disorders, nausea, dizziness and loss of appetite.
2. Increased Risk of Disease
Cysteine is particularly significant, since your body converts this into glutathione, which is a
potent antioxidant that helps neutralize and prevent the cellular damage that free radicals cause.
Cysteine treatment has been linked with lower incidence of angina, influenza and chronic
bronchitis. Without enough cysteine, however, your susceptibility to disease is increased.
3. Lower Energy and Alertness
High protein foods that contain large amounts of tyrosine, such as fish, poultry, eggs, dairy
products, tofu and meat, are great for boosting your energy and mental alertness. Tyrosine
increases your body’s production of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and epinephrine, which
are known to improve our capacity to mentally focus. Without sufficient amounts of tyrosine,
you may start to feel fatigued more easily and less able to concentrate.
4. Increased Anxiety and Stress
Eating foods that are high in carbohydrates causes a release of insulin into your bloodstream.
This clears out almost all amino acids in your blood except for tryptophan. Once this amino acid
enters the brain, it is converted into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that reduces pain, lowers
appetite and induces a feeling of calmness. Individuals who frequently don’t get enough
tryptophan may be more susceptible to the negative effects of anxiety and stress. Foods high in
tryptophan include milk, bananas, oats, cheese, soy, poultry and nuts.
5. Protein-energy under-nutrition is a form of malnutrition in which you fail to obtain enough
dietary protein for an extended period, leading to a shortage of amino acids in your cells.
Although generally rare among healthy adults, protein-energy under-nutrition might occur if you
pursue an extreme weight-loss program that lacks sufficient protein.
6. When the diet is extremely deficient or totally lacking in protein, the body becomes severely
ill and a disease called kwashiorkor develops. Although the disorder is rare in developed
countries, it might appear in areas where the food supply is poor or where drought, severe
weather or other conditions interfere with food production or distribution. The lack of dietary
protein and resulting shortage in amino acids causes a number of symptoms. These include
weight loss, decrease in muscle mass, changes in hair or skin, diarrhea, extreme fatigue and
difficulty recovering from infection. Internally, the liver may enlarge and there may be swelling,
or edema, throughout the body.