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Amino Acid Benefits:
*Supports bodily proteins
*Delivers essential & non-essential amino acids
*Builds & repairs muscles
*Protects against muscle degeneration

Amino Acid Functions
Amino acids are a key part of a healthy body. As the building blocks of protein, amino acids are involved in all kinds of bodily functions. The body contains two types of proteins. Functional proteins are those that support bodily functions, such as insulin and thyroid hormones, digestive enzymes, and antibodies. Structural proteins are those involved in building and maintain bodily structures, such as bones, connective tissues, muscles, and in cell walls. Amino acids support more than just proteins. The amino neurotransmitter, for example, is a chemical that sends electrical nerve impulses in the brain.

Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids
Amino acids are separated into two groups: essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids are not able to be produced in the body, which means they need to be absorbed from external sources like supplements and food. Non-essential amino acids, on the other hand, are naturally produced by the body. This doesn’t mean, however, that they are not important sources of nutrition that need to be obtained from outside sources if levels are insufficient.

Essential Amino Acids:
Leucine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Methionine (and its related compound cystine), Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine
(Histidine is essential in infants)

Non-Essential Amino Acids:

Alanine, Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Serine, Tyrosine

Amino Acid Importance
For a variety of reasons, the body may be in need of a certain type of protein at any given time. As that protein is high in a particular amino acid, the body will need to absorb that amino acid in higher amounts. Sometimes those amino acids, whether essential or non-essential, will not be received through diet alone, such as during infancy, pregnancy, breast feeding, healing, recovering from weight loss, or while building new muscle through exercise.

Other Amino Acid Uses
Proteins are a critical part the body. Because amino acids are the building blocks of protein, they are central to a number of bodily functions. Structural elements like bones, muscles, and connective tissue all require amino acid-rich proteins. The therapeutic uses of amino acids need to be studies more thoroughly, but many believe that their uses and benefits will be great once further understanding is gained. Amino acids are one of the most important compounds in the body and perform a number of roles in health and wellbeing.

List of Amino Acids & Uses
* Arginine – boosts sperm count and support protein metabolism.
* Beta-Alanine – decreases muscle fatigue, boosts endurance and strengthen gains.
* Glutamine – minimizes muscle tissue breakdown and improves protein metabolism.
* Lysine - used to treat recurrent cold sores and herpes infections.
* Phenylalanine –used to treat pain and depression.
* Tryptophan –researched more thoroughly than any other type of amino acids. The level of tryptophan in the blood has been linked to arthritis, and high levels of tryptophan can also be found in people with jaundice. Tryptophan has been used to treat depression, particularly in people who are also experiencing issues with sleep. Oral contraceptives that contain estrogen have been known to interfere with the normal metabolism of tryptophan. This may be due to estrogen’s effect on vitamin B6, which itself is crucial for converting tryptophan to serotonin.
* Histidine - used to treat rheumatoid arthritis because people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis often show low levels of histidine.
* Tyrosine - like tryptophan and phenylalanine, tyrosine has been used to help treat depression. People suffering from depression often have low levels of dopamine and noradrenalin. Tyrosine is critical for the synthesis of substances called catecholamine, and catecholamine includes the compounds dopamine and noradrenalin.