Arginine

Why arginine is good for you

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid which is required to ensure the liver, joints, muscles (including the heart muscle) and skin are kept healthy. Arginine strengthens the immune system, promotes male fertility and is involved in regulating many hormonal processes in the body (the pituitary gland, the pancreas and human growth hormone).

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid because the body can usually produce enough of it in normal circumstances, but if the body is under a great amount of physical stress or illness, then more arginine is required. In addition, new born babies cannot make their own arginine for the first few months of their life.

Important arginine facts

• Lysine and ornithine compete with arginine for uptake into the brain
• Arginine should not be given to patients with herpes as it promotes their growth (unless lysine is also given)
• Arginine is vital for muscle metabolism. It aids weight loss as it facilitates an increase in muscle mass and a reduction of body fat
• Arginine is a component of collagen and aids in the building of new bones and tendons

Arginine works best with

• Vitamin B6
• Manganese
• Magnesium
• Aspartic Acid
• Glycine
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Ornithine
• Valine

Arginine and health

• Immune system enhancer – arginine may benefit those suffering from diseases that suppress the immune system as it slows down the growth of tumours and cancer by enhancing immune function. It makes the thymus gland, produce more T lymphocytes (T cells), crucial components of the immune system (there is also evidence that it can also make other tumour grow faster – so only take it under medical supervision for immune illnesses)
• Liver detoxification – arginine is good for liver disorders such as cirrhosis of the liver and fatty liver; it aids in liver detoxification by neutralizing ammonia
• Artherosclerosis – studies show that arginine prevents build-up of plaque and other substances that may harden blood vessels – the main cause of artherosclerosis
• Lowering cholesterol – recent findings show that arginine lowers cholesterol
• Coronary artery disease – studies show that arginine ensures blood circulates properly, so preventing lack of blood flow and damage to the heart and reducing symptoms of coronary heart disease

Talk to a medical professional about arginine supplements before taking them

Groups at risk of arginine deficiency

Arginine deficiency is rare, as most people can get their daily does of arginine from the food they eat. The groups that are at risk of arginine deficiency are:

• People on low protein diets – people who are not eating enough protein foods may not get enough arginine in their diet

People in these groups at risk of arginine deficiency should talk to a medical professional about arginine supplementation before trying it.

Symptoms of arginine deficiency

Insulin production, glucose tolerance, and liver lipid metabolism may all be impaired when the body is deficient in arginine. Hair loss may be another sign of arginine deficiency.

Arginine in food

Arginine recommended daily intake (RDI)

Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for arginine

Rare, but if taken in massive doses, the following are general symptoms of overdosage and toxicity:

• skin thickening and coarseness of the skin
• weakness
• diarrhoea
• nausea
• increases the activity of some viruses

Precautions

The following people should NOT take arginine supplements- talk to your medical health care provider if you fall into one of these groups:

• Herpes patients – arginine will make the cold sores worse or increase the incidence of a herpes outbreak
• Cancer patients – due to the possibility of arginine increasing cancer cells replication
• People with low blood pressure, kidney or liver disease
• People taking blood dilators – such as nitroglycerin or sildenafil (Viagra)
• Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers – unknown effect to the unborn child
• Children and teenagers – should avoid arginine supplements, due to the unknown effects on children and teenagers
• People with diabetes – due to arginine’s effect on insulin and carbohydrate metabolism
• People with schizophrenia – should avoid arginine
• People with herpes – arginine could cause the herpes infection (cold sores or genital herpes) to get worse

Arginine supplementation can be taken for 2-3 weeks at a time, followed by a break of 3-4 weeks, after which supplementation can resume again in the same manner – on a few weeks and off a few weeks, but not for a long term.

Longer term supplementation of arginine should only be taken under medical supervision.

Interactions

References

• Osiecki H, Meeke F, Smith J, The Encyclopaedia of Clinical Nutrition – Volume 1: The Nervous System, BioConceps Publishing QLD 2004

Last reviewed and updated: 8 May 2024