What Are The Benefits of an L-Glutamine Supplement?

If you’re looking for an amino acid supplement one option is amino l glutamine. This is a non-essential amino acid that the body produces naturally. It’s found in various foods like beef, eggs, and corn.

amino l-glutamine

Is your body producing enough of the amino acid L-Glutamine? Fun Fact: German chemist Ernst Schulze discovered the amino acid in 1883 from beet juice. This is one of the body’s non-essential amino acids (NEAAs) since the body produces it naturally. You can still boost your intake through food and supplements. In some cases, the body doesn’t make enough of the nutrient so a person has to boost their levels through outside sources. That includes foods like beef, eggs, corn, and white rice. There are also various dietary supplements on the market that include amino l glutamine if you’re looking for another way to boost your intake of the amino acid.

There are several benefits you can get from Glutamine. They include muscle building, small/large intestine, and the immune system. These are all important body functions that can help the human body work more effectively. Meanwhile, if your body isn’t getting enough glutamine through the body’s production of food/supplements it can cause various health issues because your body doesn’t have all the nutrients it needs to work properly. It’s like a machine not getting the fuel it needs for its operation. In that case, it’s important to consider glutamine foods or dietary supplements.

What in the World Is L-Glutamine?

This is one of the non-essential amino acids. In other words, NEAAs differ from EAAs because the body produces them. In some cases, the body doesn’t make enough of the stuff. That’s because of factors like bad diet and health conditions.

In those situations, you’ll have to boost your levels of the amino acid through food/supplements. You can get the building blocks of protein from various foods. You can also find dietary supplements at physical and online stores. These should be a secondary source after food.

Let’s get to brass tacks about glutamine. This is one of the 11 NEAAs and helps with various body functions. The main one is to function as the building blocks of proteins. Amino acids make peptides, and peptides make proteins.

Protein is critical for the human body to function properly. It’s the main substance in:

  • Skin
  • Nails
  • Muscles
  • Bones
  • Organs

It’s critical to consume enough protein for these body parts to work properly. However, if your body lacks property it can cause the opposite effect.

You might be wondering about the “L” in front of the amino acid’s name. There are two types. The other type is D-glutamine. There are some differences between the two forms of the amino acid but it’s still the same amino acid.  

One of the major differences is L-glutamine is found in various foods/supplements. For example, you might see some supplements listed as “glutamine” but in other cases, it’s referred to as “L-glutamine.”

Studies show that Lu-glutamine might be of more value for living organisms.

The body can produce L-glutamine naturally. It’s the most common type of amino acid found in body fluids like blood. That said, sometimes the body needs more of the amino acid than it can produce. In some situations like illness/injury, you have to get the amino from food.

Amino L-Glutamine Supplements: Benefits

Intestinal health

Glutamine is very important for maintaining good health for the small/large intestines. These organs are critical for good overall health and the digestive system. The intestines are considered the biggest part of the human immune system.

The reason is there are lots of intestine cells that have immune functions. There are also many trillions of bacteria in the small/large intestines that affect the immune system. Glutamine is a key energy source for immune/intestine cells.

Another function is to maintain the wall between the body and the intestines. This helps to protect again a health condition known as “leaky gut.” That prevents bad bacteria/toxins from spreading from the intestines to other body parts.

Another key benefit is for the normal growth/maintenance of the intestine’s cells. Glutamine is important for improving general immune health. This is done by providing support for the intestine’s cells.

Immune system

This is easily one of the most critical functions of the amino acid. The immune system is the body’s first line of defense. It helps it to fight off bacteria/fungi/viruses, illnesses, and diseases. This is important for overall health.

Glutamine is important for immune system cells like white blood cells. It’s critical for various cells in the small/large intestine.

If the immune system needs more glutamine than the body makes it can break down stored protein like a muscle. This will help to release more glutamine.

Muscle exercise

L-glutamine is also important for building muscle mass and workout performance. It’s believed that glutamine is important for both of these functions. For example, in one particular study 30+ people took glutamine or a fake pill for 6 weeks while doing weight-training. Both groups showed muscle/strength gains.

One possible benefit of glutamine is for boosting muscle recovery after tough workouts. One study showed that glutamine + carbs reduced fatigue during 2 hours of running.

L-Glutamine Risks and Side-Effects

As always, it’s important to know the possible risks/side-effects related to taking L-glutamine supplements. First, if you’re just consuming foods with amino acids there shouldn’t be any issues if you eat a normal amount of food.

On the other hand, too much of anything is a possibility. Make sure you’re heating a healthy and well-balanced diet. This will help to prevent unwanted side-effects like consuming too much of any particular nutrient.

The daily dosage of glutamine should range from 3g to 6g daily. However, this figure could vary based on the kinds and amounts of food that are consumed. Make sure to consult your doctor or dietician about this issue. This will help to avoid possible health issues.  

Various studies have been done about different doses of glutamine supplements. There doesn’t seem to be any side-effects from taking high doses. However, it’s unclear if taking this action could affect blood safety. More research is needed. However, as always it’s best to be on the safe side and avoid high doses of any supplement.

It seems that taking 14g/day of glutamine for a short time doesn’t seem to cause any problems. However, some scientists argue that a high dosage shouldn’t be maintained long-term. It’s better to avoid this step to be safe.

If you start taking glutamine supplements you might experience some changes in how your body takes in and processes aminos. However, scientists are still researching the long-term results of these changes. More research is needed.

When starting with this supplement a good dosage might be 5mg/day. You could then boost the amount later but should always consult your doctor. This will help to reduce the risk of any unwanted side-effects.

You should also talk to your doctor before taking the amino acid from the get-go. He/She can factor in any health conditions related to amino l glutamine.

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