Have you ever wondered how to get amino acids from their natural sources in healthy amounts to maintain the balance of amino acids in the body? To find out the solution, keep reading the article.
The building blocks of proteins, amino acids are substances that have a variety of vital functions in the human body. In this article, we will talk about the balance of amino acids and the harms of increasing or deficient them in the body:
Amino acid balance
Your body requires nine essential amino acids from food in order to grow and function properly. These nine amino acids are Histidine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, and Threonine (also known as threonine), Tryptophan, and Valine.
The importance of amino acid balance in the body
Your health and many vital bodily processes depend on the balance of amino acids. Where it is involved in the manufacture of neurotransmitters and hormones, and is a basic building block for building various proteins, and amino acids help the body to do the following:
- Breaking down food and making use of it.
- Mood improvement.
- Prevent muscle loss and improve athletic performance.
- Growth and repair of damaged body tissues.
- Provide an energy source.
- Helping the body perform its various functions.
- Helping to lose excess weight.
Amino acid imbalance
The levels of amino acids in the body can become unbalanced, and this unbalance includes the occurrence of the following:
- Decrease in amino acid levels
Reduced amino acid levels have a number of detrimental effects, including extreme exhaustion, malnutrition, ageing, and occasionally premature death.
- High percentage of amino acids
Increased levels of amino acids cause the liver's enzymes to catabolize proteins more quickly. This has additional negative effects, including blood pressure drops, digestive issues that cause bloating, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain, and stress on the kidneys because they must work harder to maintain the body's balanced amino acid levels.
When consuming excessive amounts of amino acids, additional effects could also happen, such as the following:
- Free amino acid levels are affected in the brain: they in turn affect the centers of the nervous system responsible for regulating food consumption and eating patterns.
- Increased risk of gout: Uric acid accumulates in the body, leading to arthritis.
- Toxicity: Toxicity can result from taking high doses of amino acid supplements, as their concentrations in the blood rise to very high levels, leading to significant damage.
How to maintain the levels of amino acids in the body?
The majority of dietary plans include balanced amounts of each amino acid, and sources of protein that also contain all nine essential amino acids are known as complete proteins. If you follow a diet that contains a source of complete proteins and do not exceed the permissible daily intake limits; You will maintain the balance of amino acids in your body.
recommended amounts of amino acids
The following recommendations for daily amino acid intake (milligrammes per kilogramme of body weight):
| amino acid |
Recommended quantity |
| histidine |
14 milligrams |
| isoleucine |
19 milligrams |
| leucine |
42 milligrams |
| methionine and cysteine |
19 milligrams |
| Lysine |
38 milligrams |
| Phenylalanine and Tyrosine |
33 milligrams |
| threonine |
20 milligrams |
| tryptophan |
5 milligrams |
| valine |
24 milligrams |
Sources of complete proteins
Following are examples of complete protein sources, which are divided into animal and plant sources:
- Animal sources, including: meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
- In addition to soybeans, plant sources include quinoa, buckwheat, and more.
When might you need to take amino acid supplements?
When receiving treatment for illnesses like cancer or under extreme stress, it is advised to take amino acid supplements.
Additionally, especially if you participate in sports, you should speak with a doctor before eating a lot of proteins or taking supplements containing amino acids.
Risks associated with amino acid supplementation
Common risks of long-term use of amino acid supplements are nausea, headache, and pain. Other dangers consist of:
- It is advised to avoid taking amino acid supplements before and after surgery because of their impact on blood sugar levels.
- Medication interactions: Amino acid supplements interact with thyroid and diabetes medications. Therefore, it is advised to consult a doctor before taking amino acid supplements.