Most dieters are using different supplements to help them lose weight or build some serious muscles. And most of the time, they use amino acids.
Certain amino acids such as phenylalanine and branched-chain amino acids are widely considered as effective slimming agents.
Some people use other amino acids for weight loss such as carnitine for fat burning or arginine for enhancing mood.
But are these amino acids truly effective? Will they deliver significant results? Does it offer other health benefits?
Well, if you are planning on taking amino acids for weight loss, then this article is for you!
Read on and I will discuss the properties of each amino acids and you decide if such agents are plausible for your weight loss.
Amino Acids Overview
Known as the building blocks of life, amino acids are organic compounds that merges together to form proteins.
Our bodies use amino acids to produce proteins, which basically help break down food, body growth, body tissue repair and perform other major body functions.
Most people also acknowledges the fact that amino acids can also be used as energy source by the body.
According to experts, there are three amino acid groups – essential amino acids, non-essential and conditional amino acids.
Non-essential amino acids are those naturally produced by the body. This include alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid.
Conditional amino acids are commonly not essential, except in times of illness and stress. This include arginine, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, tyrosine, proline, ornithine and serine.
Lastly, essential amino acids are those that come from food that we eat. This include leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, lysine, histidine and isoleucine.
Basically, you don’t have to eat a lot of amino acids at every meal, just enjoy a balance of them in a day.
So how does amino acids work? Read on and learn how each of these compounds work for weight loss.
Arginine
L-Arginine is naturally produced in the body though it can be made synthetically in the laboratory, or can be acquired through your diet.
Arginine is used to make dietary supplements designed to help treat numerous conditions such as migraines to inflammatory diseases.
It primarily helps relax blood vessels, making it a beneficial compound for improving cardiovascular function.
Studies suggests that arginine help ease the symptoms of angina and peripheral arterial disease, and it can even help boost the health of people who suffered from heart failure.
People use arginine for high blood pressure, obesity, kidney inflammation, dementia, cancers, male infertility, and diabetes.
Some of the foods that are good sources of arginine include almonds, oats, chocolate, chicken, brown rice, dairy products and meat.
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Branched-Chain Amino Acids
The most popular amino acids that most fitness conscious individuals use, branched-chain amino acids are essential nutrients that our body obtains from known protein sources such as meats, dairy products and legumes.
Commonly called as BCAA, this chain is composed of leucine, isoleucine and valine. These three amino acids are commonly used for various health conditions but most patronized in the fitness industry.
Basically, this chemical structure can help improve athletic performance, reduces and prevents fatigue, elevates concentration and focus, and helps reduce muscle breakdown during intense exercise.
While it helps prevent muscle loss, it also stimulates the building of protein in muscles, which promotes muscle growth.
These are the reasons why BCAA is one of the bestselling fitness supplements in the industry today.
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Phenylalanine
As mentioned above, phenylalanine is one of the most popular slimming agents in the market today. As one of essential amino acids, this agent plays a vital role in weight regulation according to experts.
One enticing role of phenylalanine in the body is its ability to stimulate cholecystokinin release, a hormone produced by cells in the small intestine.
How important is this hormone on weight loss?
According to experts, enough amounts of cholecystokinin hormone helps suppress appetite and may lead to reduced caloric intake.
Plus, there is also a link between dopamine (a neurotransmitter) and phenylalanine.
Phenylalanine is important for the production of another amino acid tyrosine. Healthy tyrosine levels aids with the synthesis of dopamine.
When you overeat, say you indulge in fattening foods, your dopamine levels rises. In contrast, if you go on a diet, dopamine level drops and this lead to a suppressing effect on appetite.
Also, phenylalanine is the source of another known weight loss and nootropic agent called phenethylamine.
This nootropic trace amine helps increase the production of hormones such as serotonin, another agent that can contribute to appetite reduction.
I reviewed one popular diet supplement that is based solely of phenylalanine – PhenylCaps.
Carnitine
Aside from phenylalanine, carnitine is similarly popular amino acid that is used heavily as a fat burner and muscle growth agent.
Produced naturally in the body, carnitine is a proven energy booster and is important for heart and brain function, muscle movement and many other body processes.
L-Carnitine is used for heart-related conditions such as chest pain, congestive heart failure, heart attack, high cholesterol, diphtheria, circulation problems and many other heart diseases.
People also use this amino acid for Rett syndrome, anorexia, male infertility, chronic fatigue, diabetes, ADHD, overactive thyroid, leg ulcers, athletic performance and endurance, and many others.
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Ornithine
Another equally popular amino acid used in most weight loss products. Ornithine is produced in the urea cycle by the splitting off of urea from L-Arginine.
This amino acid is found mostly in fish, meat, dairy products and eggs. It is one of the key reactants in the urea cycle responsible for the majority of nitrogen excretion in the body.
Basically, ornithine is known to help enhance liver function and also contributes in detoxifying your systems from harmful substances.
Most bodybuilders use ornithine thinking that it can help increase their levels of human growth hormones (HGH). However, there are minimal evidence that this amino acid can trigger this effect.
On the contrary, ornithine has anti-fatigue effect especially in an environment with high energy consumption. This is one of the reason why most fitness enthusiasts take ornithine supplements.
Aside from these aforementioned benefits, amino acid ornithine can also be used for wound healing and brain complications caused by liver disease (hepatic encephalopathy).
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Methionine
Also found in fish, meat, nuts, cereal grains, and dairy products, methionine also plays an important role in the many functions of the body.
Methionine is known as an antioxidant amino acid, which helps protect your system from disease-causing free radicals.
As such, methionine is used for cancers (especially breast and colon), neural birth defects, Parkinson’s disease, hot flashes, herpes simplex virus, shingles, pancreatitis, human papillomavirus, liver function, depression, allergies and asthma.
Methionine is also used for treating Tylenol poisoning, schizophrenia, drug withdrawal and many others.
According to some dieters, methionine can also promote weight loss by increasing energy production and supporting muscle growth. Some people claims that this amino acid also help metabolize fat and even improves digestion.
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Lysine
One of nine essential amino acids found in our bodies, and is required for growth and tissue repair.
Lysine is known to help improve athletic performance, which is the reason why you often see this amino acid in pre-workout supplements and diet pills.
This amino acid is also effective against herpes simplex virus, cold sores, canker sores, diabetes and can even fight off stress.
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Tryptophan
Another essential amino acid that is found mostly on diet supplements due to its alleged slimming properties, tryptophan also serves important purposes in the body.
For example, this amino acid regulates the balance of nitrogen in both adults and growth in infants. And like phenylalanine, tryptophan also produce an important neurotransmitter – serotonin.
Tryptophan is found in foods that are high in protein such as chicken, turkey and eggs. It is also found in milk, tofu, soy, chocolate, peanuts and many other foods.
According to experts, before converting into serotonin, our body first convert this amino acid into 5-hydroxytryptophan or simply known as 5-HTP.
People use tryptophan for athletic performance, facial pain, teeth grinding, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, depression, sleep disorders, anxiety and many others.
While this amino acid is quite beneficial for numerous health conditions, it is also proven to cause harmful adverse effects.
So if you are planning to take tryptophan for whatever reason, consult your doctor first!
Tyrosine
Like other amino acids, tyrosine is highly beneficial for both mental and physical performance. It is primarily used to help improve learning, memory and alertness.
Our body uses this amino acid to produce chemical messengers that are responsible for proper brain function.
As such, people use tyrosine for depression, memory, mental performance, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
It is also used for exercise performance, alcoholism, attention deficit disorder, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction in men, heart problems, chronic fatigue, weight loss and many others.
According to WebMD, a combination of cayenne, tyrosine, green tea, caffeine and calcium, help trigger slight body fat reduction.
Conclusion
So there are plenty more amino acids to discuss, but the agents above are the most widely used amino acids in dietary and workout supplements.
Will amino acids help you lose weight? Absolutely yes! Of course, you are still encouraged to combine a sensible diet and regular exercise into your weight loss program to acquire significant results.
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References:
Amino Acids
by: MedlinePlus
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002222.htm
Arginine (L-Arginine)
by: WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/diet/supplement-guide-l-arginine#1
Branched-Chain Amino Acid Levels are Associated with Improvement in Insulin Resistance with Weight Loss
by: SH Shah, DR Crosslin, CS Haynes, S Nelson, CB Turer, RD Stevens, MJ Muehbauer, BR Wenner, JR Bain, B Laferrere, P Gorroochum, J Teixeira, PJ Brantley, VJ Stevens, JF Hollis, LJ Appel, LF Lein, B Batch, CB Newgard and LP Svetkey
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3667157/
The Effects of Phenylalanine on Exercise-Induced Fat Oxidation: A Preliminary, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial
by: Keisuke Ueda, Chiaki Sanbongi, Makoto Yamaguchi, Shuji Ikegami, Takafumi Hamaoka and Satoshi Fujita
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5596463/
Carnitine (L-Carnitine)
by: WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1026/l-carnitine
Ornithine
by: Open Chemistry Database
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-ornithine#section=Top
Lysine
by: Open Chemistry Database
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-lysine#section=Top
What is Tryptophan?
by: Alana Biggers, MD
https://www.healthline.com/health/tryptophan
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