Why glutathione is good for you

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifies harmful compounds in the liver, which is then excreted through bile.

Like carnitine, glutathione is not actually an amino acid, but because of its close relationships to amino acids, it is described here.

Glutathione is not an amino acid, but is actually a tri-peptide made up the amino acids glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine and is also known as gamma-glutamylcysteinylglycine or GSH.

Important glutathione facts

• Glutathione is found in large concentrations in the liver
• The liver also excretes glutathione directly into the bloodstream where it is used to help maintain the integrity of red blood cells, as well as protecting white blood cells
• Glutathione is also found in the intestinal tract where it assists in carbohydrate metabolism as well as breaking down oxidized fats

Groups at risk of glutathione deficiency

Since glutathione can be manufactured in the body by a number of other amino acids, deficiency is very rare, but it can occur in the following individuals:

• People on low protein diets – people who are not eating enough protein foods may not get enough glutathione in their diet
• Vegans and vegetarians – people who are on a strict vegetarian diet may suffer from a glutathione deficiency if their diet is deficient in protein

People in these groups at risk of glutathione deficiency should talk to a medical professional about aspartic acid supplementation BEFORE trying them.

Symptoms of glutathione deficiency

None known.

Glutathione and health

• Antioxidant effects – glutathione is also used for its potent antioxidant properties to prevent oxidative stress in cells which helps to neutralise free radicals that can damage and mutate DNA and RNA, which is how cancer spreads throughout the body

Talk to a medical professional about glutathione supplements before taking them.

Glutathione in food

• Cottage cheese
• Duck
• Granola
• Oatmeal flakes
• Toasted wheat germ
• Yoghurt

Foods rich in cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine should be selected when wishing to increase your dietary intake of this nutrient.

Glutathione recommended daily intake (RDI)

Glutathione works best with

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
• Lipoic Acid
• Magnesium
• Selenium
• Zinc
• Cystine
• Glutamic Acid
• Glycine
• Methionine
• n-Acetyl-Cysteine

Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for glutathione

No information available.

References

• Franco R, Schoneveld OJ, Pappa A, Panayiotidis MI. The central role of glutathione in the pathophysiology of human diseases. Arch Physiol Biochem. 2007 Oct-Dec;113(4-5):234-58
• Micke P, Beeh KM, Schlaak JF, Buhl R. Oral supplementation with whey proteins increases plasma glutathione levels in HIV-infected patients. Pulmonary Division, III. Medical Department, Mainz University Hospital, D-455101 Mainz, Germany
• Mulder TP, Court DA, Peters WH. Variability of glutathione S-transferase alpha in human liver and plasma. Clin Chem. 1999 Mar;45(3):355-9. www.clinchem.org/cgi/content/full/45/3/355, accessed 2 November 2007
• Osieki H. The Nutrient Bible.5th Edition, Bio Concepts Publishing, QLD 2002
• van Lieshout EM, Bedaf MM, Pieter M, Ekkel C, Nijhoff WA, Peters WH. Effects of dietary anticarcinogens on rat gastrointestinal glutathione S-transferase theta 1-1 levels. Carcinogenesis. 1998 Nov;19(11):2055-7. http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/11/2055, accessed 2 November 2007
• Wu G, Fang YZ, Yang S, Lupton JR, Turner ND. Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health. J Nutr. 2004 Mar;134(3):489-92. jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/134/3/489, accessed 2 November 2007

Why glycine is good for you

Glycine is a sweet-tasting, non-essential amino acid that can be produced from serine and threonine, so dietary intake is not essential.

Glycine is required to build protein in the body. It is required for the synthesis of nucleic acids, the construction of RNA as well as DNA and synthesis of bile acids and other amino acids in the body.

Glycine is also found to be useful in assisting with the absorption of calcium in the body. It helps in retarding degeneration of muscles as it helps to supply extra creatine in the body. Glycine is important in the body’s manufacture of hormones responsible for a strong immune system.

Important glycine facts

• Glycine is used by the nervous system and functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which makes it important to help prevent epileptic seizures
• Glycine is also used in the treatment of manic depression and hyperactivity
• Glycine is found in all cells of the body, but it is found in large amounts in the prostate fluid and may be important in prostate health
• Glycine also participates in the major energy producing biochemical processes in the body

Groups at risk of glycine deficiency

None reported.

Symptoms of glycine deficiency

Few people are glycine deficient, partly because the body makes its own supply of it and partly because it is abundant in many different food sources.

Glycine and health

• Repairing damaged tissue – high concentrations of glycine are found in the skin and connective tissues, which aids in repair of damaged tissue

Talk to a medical professional about glycine supplements before taking them

Glycine in food

Glycine recommended daily intake (RDI)

Glycine works best with

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
• Vitamin H (Folic Acid)
• Vitamin H (Biotin)
• Cysteine
• Serine

Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for glycine

No clear toxicity has emerged from glycine studies, although having too much glycine in the body can cause fatigue.

Caution

People with kidney or liver disease should not consume high intakes of amino acids without consulting a health care professional.

References

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

Some interesting facts about GABA:

• GABA is a non-essential amino acid
  GABA is a non-essential amino acid, which means the body can metabolise (or make) it from the essential amino acids. It is not necessarily required in high levels in the diet.
• GABA functions as a building block of protein in the body
  GABA, just like all the other amino acids, is one of the building blocks of all proteins in the body, which not only include muscles, but also all the other proteins required for normal function of the body.
• GABA is manufactured in the body from glutamic acid
  Even if the diet is in short supply of GABA, the body can make as much as it requires, from the amino acid glutamic acid (as long as there is adequate intake of this amino acid in the diet).

GABA is a non-essential amino acid, which means the body can metabolise (or make) it from the essential amino acids. It is not necessarily required in high levels in the diet

GABA’s benefits

• GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps to calm the brain
  GABA is an amino acid neurotransmitter of an inhibitory nature, which means it calms the brain and ensures moods are less volatile. GABA balances high levels of excitatory neurotransmitters and relaxes the mind.
• GABA is required to enable the body to sleep well
  GABA is vital to ensure the body calms down and enables sleep. GABA is directly involved with the thalamus’ function in enabling sleep. In fact, GABA’s impact on sleep are so important that medications to help people sleep (sleeping tablets) are manufactured to target the GABA receptors so that they induce sleep in those experiencing insomnia.
• GABA ensures the nerves in the brain function correctly
  GABA also ensures that all the neurons in the brain function correctly, by ensuring they accept and act upon the the signals sent to them, which are to decrease activity and inhibit nerve cells from over-firing. GABA prevents anxiety and stress-related messages from reaching the motor centers of the brain by occupying their receptor sites, thus blocking these sites from the neural impulses.

GABA and health

• Promote better sleep – GABA promotes relaxation and induces better sleep by easing anxiety
• Epilepsy – a link has been made to low GABA levels and epileptic seizures in some patients. In these cases, extra GABA appeared to inhibit nerve cells in the brain from firing and setting off seizures.
• Chronic pain – stress can aggravate pain, making it feel worse. As a natural stress-reducer, GABA supplements can help to relieve the intensity of pain and as it reduces the pain-related nerve impulses to make the sensation of feeling pain a lesser experience
• ADHD – GABA is effective in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Depression – some evidence suggests that GABA may have mood-elevating properties
• Panic attacks – it has been suggested that a shortage of GABA may cause panic attacks, since an intake of tranquilizers can decrease the level of GABA in the body
• PMS – GABA may also be effective in treating PMS (premenstrual syndrome) in women

Talk to a medical professional about GABA supplements before taking them

GABA is an amino acid neurotransmitter of an inhibitory nature, which means it calms the brain and ensures moods are less volatile

GABA recommended daily intake (RDI)

There is no current recommended daily intake or tolerable upper intake for GABA.

Therapeutic dosage

There is a therapeutic dosage for GABA, which is the most that can be safely taken for a short period before supplementation produces side effects:

• Adults: 250mg-500mg per day (divided into equal portions)

Supplementation of GABA should only be taken in smaller doses through the day and not in one huge supplement. The higher levels of GABA should only be taken under strict medical supervision because supplementation at very high levels may cause some side effects in some people.

GABA food sources

The best (but not the only) food sources of GABA are the following:

• Almonds
• Whole wheat
• Mackerel
• Halibut
• Whole grain oats
• Beef liver
• Walnuts
• Rice bran
• Lentils

GABA exists in a whole range of foods in a number of foods groups, so it is easy to obtain in the diet

Groups at risk of GABA deficiency

The brain normally produces all the non-essential amino acid GABA that is required, but unfortunately, due to poor diet, exposure to environmental toxins, or other factors, levels of GABA may become depleted and so many people may be deficient without even realising it.

The following are the only people who may be at highest risk of experiencing a deficiency of GABA:

• People on low protein diets
  People who are on low protein diets may become deficient not just in GABA but all of the amino acids (and especially the essential amino acids) if their protein intake is not sufficient.
• People who are malnutritioned or starving
  People who are malnutritioned or starving are not not be eating enough foods to sustain health and will not be getting enough of not just GABA but also all the amino acids (and especially the essential amino acids).

GABA deficiency symptoms

Symptoms of GABA deficiency include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Palpitations

People with any of these symptoms should seek advice from their medical practitioner to determine if GABA supplementation is required.

GABA works best with

• Folic Acid
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
• Vitamin H (Biotin)
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Taurine

GABA cautions

Certain groups of people should not take GABA supplements:

• People taking sleeping tablets
• People taking any type of sedating medications
• People with liver or kidney disease
• People with any type of medical condition
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding

GABA has a sedating effect on the body, so when it is used in combinations with other sedating prescription medications (sleeping tablets, codeine, anti-nausea medications) it can cause excessive drowsiness and other dangerous side effects.

In addition to this, people taking GABA supplements for the first time should not drive or operate machinery until the extent of the sedative effect of GABA is established.

Toxic levels of GABA

While GABA may be essentially non-toxic, it can produce some toxicity at doses greater than 2000mg per day.

Overdosage and toxicity symptoms

Toxic levels for GABA have not yet been established, but very high doses can cause the following side effects:

• Mild gastric problems
• Nausea
• Numbness around the mouth
• Shortness of breath
• Tingling in the extremities

Medications and supplements

At the time of writing this article (May 2008), there were no well-known interactions between GABA and any medications.

People who are taking sleeping tablets of any type should seek advice from their doctor before trying GABA supplements.

Other interactions with GABA

There are none reported.

GABA’s effect on lab tests

There are none reported.

References

1. Osieki H. The Nutrient Bible. Everything You Need to Know About Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids, Enzymes – Even Toxic Metals. BioConcepts Publishing QLD. 2002

Why leucine is good for you

Leucine is an essential amino acid which assists to regulate blood sugar and energy levels, production of the human growth hormone, wound healing as well as the growth and repair of muscle tissue.

Leucine can also assist in the prevention of the breakdown of muscle proteins that may occur after severe stress or trauma.

Important leucine facts

• Leucine is part of the three branched chain amino acids (BCAA) – the other two are valine and isoleucine

Groups at risk of leucine deficiency

Deficiency of leucine is rare, but can occur in the following individuals:

• People on low protein diets – people who are not eating enough protein foods may not get enough leucine in their diet
• Vegans / vegetarian – people who are on a strict vegetarian diet may suffer from a leucine deficiency if their diet is deficient in protein

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

Symptoms of leucine deficiency

Deficiency occurs in individuals who are deficient in dietary protein – symptoms are similar to hypoglycaemia and may include:

• headaches
• dizziness
• fatigue
• depression
• confusion
• irritability

Leucine and health

• Phenylketonuria – leucine may be beneficial for individuals with phenylketonuria, which is a genetic disorder where the body cannot metabolise the amino acid phenylalanine

Talk to a medical professional about leucine supplements before taking them.

Leucine in food

Leucine recommended daily intake (RDI)

Leucine works best with

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
• Magnesium
• Isoleucine
• Methionine
• Valine

In order to balance a leucine supplement, it needs to be kept in balance by: 2mg of each of leucine and valine for each 1mg of isoleucine. Talk to your natural health practitioner to get the right balance.

Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for leucine

There has not been any consistent evidence that leucine supplements have any toxicity. Although it is known that a high intake of leucine may give rise to the disease pellagra and may increase the amount of ammonia in the body.

References

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

Why alanine is good for you

Alanine is a non-essential amino acid that plays a key role in maintaining glucose levels in the body by helping the body to convert glucose into energy. Alanine also eliminates excess toxins from the liver.

Alanine is required for the metabolism of glucose and tryptophan and beta-alanine (which is a constituent of vitamin B5 – pantothenic acid) as well as coenzyme A.

Important alanine facts

• People suffering from Epstein-Barr (sometimes referred to as glandular fever) as well as chronic fatigue syndrome have been linked to excessively high levels of alanine while having low levels of tyrosine and phenylalanine
• Alanine is a non-essential amino acid and is used by the body to build protein

Groups at risk of alanine deficiency

As a rule, alanine deficiency is rare. Alanine is a non-essential amino acid, so the body can manufacture enough of its own.

The following groups are the only ones known to be at any risk of alanine deficiency:

• People on low protein diets – people who are not eating enough protein foods may not get enough alanine in their diet
• Vegans and vegetarians – people who are on a strict vegetarian diet may suffer from a alanine deficiency if their diet is deficient in protein
• People with eating disorders – people who have eating disorders may not be eating enough foods, so may not get enough alanine in their diet
• People with liver disease – low levels of alanine have been found in patients with liver disease (especially hepatitis)
• People with diabetes – low levels of alanine have been found in patients with diabetes

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

Symptoms of alanine deficiency

None known.

Alanine is a non-essential amino acid, so the body can normally manufacture enough of its own for normal usage.

Alanine and health

• Alanine and prostate health – alanine is present in prostate fluid, so it may play a role in the role of the prostate. In one study of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (benign prostate enlargement), it was found that daily doses of alanine for two weeks which was halved for the next two and a half months, taken together in combination with equal amounts of glycine and glutamic acid reduced the symptoms

Always talk to a medical professional about alanine supplements before taking them.

Alanine in food

Alanine recommended daily intake (RDI)

Alanine works best with

• Arginine
• Glycine

Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for carnitine

Alanine does not have many side effects for healthy individuals, but it is not advisable to take it in excessive amounts.

The following groups should not consume high levels of alanine supplements and should seek medical advice before taking it at all:

• People with kidney / liver disease – may be adversely affected by alanine supplements
• Pregnant / breastfeeding mothers – the effect of alanine supplements on the unborn child is unknown

References

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

Why proline is good for you

Proline is a non-essential amino acid, as it can be synthesised from glutamic acid, so it is not required to be obtained from dietary sources.

Proline improves skin texture by aiding in the production of collagen and reduces the loss of collagen through the aging process. Proline works with vitamin C to promote healthy connective tissue. Proline also helps in the maintenance and healing of cartilage and the strengthening of joints, tendons, and muscles (including the heart muscle).

Important proline facts

• Proline is obtained primarily from meat sources
• Proline helps vitamin C produce collagen. Together with vitamin C, proline boosts collagen production a boost
• Collagen is composed of the metabolic by-product of proline called hydroxyproline
• Proline helps with the maintenance and regulation of cartilage production and helps to heal cartilage tissue if it is injured or damaged in any way
• Proline helps the body heal the tissues damaged after accident or injury, so it is very useful in wound healing

Groups at risk of proline deficiency

None.

Symptoms of proline deficiency

None – it is readily obtained and available to the body.

Proline and health

• None known

Proline in food

Proline recommended daily intake (RDI)

Proline works best with

• Bioflavonoids
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Vitamin C
• Copper
• Iron
• Lysine

Overdosage, toxicity and cautions for proline

None known.

References

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