Amino acids

Ancient Herbs and Modern Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference Guide
to Medicinal Herbs, Human Ailments and Possible Herbal Remedies
by James Kedzie Sayre.

Amino acids

amino acids - amino acids are organic acids that are used by the body as basic building blocks to assemble thousands of complicated proteins. By definition, each amino acid has an amino (amine, NH2) group and a carboxylic acid (carboxyl, COOH) group. The human body uses only about twenty of these amino acids in constructing its proteins. They are characterized as either essential or non-essential. Essential amino acids are not manufactured by the body and must be obtained through diet. Non-essential amino acids can be manufactured by the body from other compounds. The essential amino acids include: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. In addition, histidine is considered as essential for children, while arginine is needed by adults suffering from liver disease [Ronzio]. Non-essential amino acids include alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, taurine and tyrosine. Note: use of single amino acids in large doses (several grams/day) may be very toxic to the kidneys [Ronzio]. Note: amino acids are very powerful substances and should be treated with considerable caution if being used as stand-alone dietary supplements. It is probably best to get your amino acids in the traditional manner: from foods.

essential amino acids - the essential amino acids include: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. Histidine is considered as essential for children, while arginine is needed by adults suffering from liver disease [Ronzio].

alanine (L-alanine) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C3H7NO2. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in dairy products, fish, meat and poultry.

arginine (L-arginine) - this amino acid is considered as essential for adults suffering from liver disease. It has the formula C6H14N4O2. It is not produced by the body of adults suffering from liver disease and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in fish, meat, nuts and poultry.

asparagine (L-asparagine) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C4H8N2O3. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in dairy products, fish, meat and poultry and in some plant foods.

aspartic acid (L-aspartic acid) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C4H7NO4. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in eggs, fish, meat and poultry and in some plant foods, such as soybeans, sugar beets and sugar cane.

cysteine (L-cysteine) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C3H7NO2S. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in almonds, eggs, fenugreek seeds, fish, garlic, onions, peanuts, poultry, soybeans, torula yeast and yogurt.

glutamic acid (L-glutamic acid) (glutamate) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C5H9NO4. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in many plant and animal tissues. The monosodium salt of glutamic acid is monosodium glutamate (MSG). Monosodium glutamate is found in seaweed, soybeans and sugar beets. It has been used as a flavoring. Note: some people are highly sensitive to monosodium glutamate and develop headaches and numbness after ingesting it.

glutamine (L-glutamine) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C5H10N2O3. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in milk and whole grains.

glycine - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is the smallest and is the most simple in structure. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C2H5NO2. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in both plant and animal proteins.

histidine (L-histidine) - this amino acid is considered as essential for children. a crystalline compound with the formula C6H9N3O2. It is not produced by the body in children and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in cheese, fish, meat, peanuts, poultry, soybeans and torula yeast.

isoleucine (L-isoleucine) - one of the essential amino acids. This is a crystalline compound with the formula C6H13NO2. It is not produced by the body and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in cheese, fenugreek seeds, fish, nuts, poultry, seeds, soybeans, spirulina and torula yeast.

leucine (L-leucine) - one of the essential amino acids - a crystalline compound with the formula C6H13NO2. It is not produced by the body and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in dairy products, meat, oats, peanuts, poultry, soybean, spirulina and torula yeast

lysine (L-lysine) - one of the essential amino acids - a crystalline compound with the formula C6H14N2O2. It is not produced by the body and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in dairy products, fenugreek seeds, fish, meat, peanuts, soybean, yeast.

methionine (L-methionine) - one of the essential amino acids - a crystalline compound with the formula C5H11NO2S. It is not produced by the body and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in beans, fish, garlic, meat, milk, onions, poultry, sesame seeds, soybeans and torula yeast.

phenylalanine (L-phenylalanine) - one of the essential amino acids - a crystalline compound with the formula C9H11NO2. It is not produced by the body and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in dairy products, fish, meat, peanuts, poultry, soybeans and torula yeast.

proline (L-proline) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C5H9NO2. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in dairy products.

serine (L-serine) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C3H7NO3. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in dairy products, meat, peanuts and soybeans.

taurine - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C2H7NO3S. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in fish, meat and milk.

threonine (L-threonine) - one of the essential amino acids. This is a crystalline compound with the formula C4H9NO3. It is not produced by the body and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in dairy products, fenugreek seeds, fish, meat, poultry, soybeans, spirulina and nutritional yeast.

tryptophan (L-tryptophan) - one of the essential amino acids. This is a crystalline compound with the formula C11H12N2O2. It is not produced by the body and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in bananas, eggs, fenugreek seeds, milk, nutritional yeast, poultry, soybeans, spirulina, and yogurt. Note: this compound has been recalled by the FDA as a stand-alone nutritional supplement in 1989 [Ronzio]. Some people experienced very toxic reactions after ingesting tryptophan. In doses of one gram/day (1,000 milligrams/day) it may be toxic to the liver in sensitive individuals [Ronzio]. Extreme caution is advised.

tyrosine (L-tyrosine) - this is an non-essential amino acid. It is a crystalline compound with the formula C9H11NO3. It is produced by the body from other compounds. It is found naturally in cheese, milk, peanuts, soybeans, spirulina and torula yeast.

valine (L-valine) - one of the essential amino acids. This is a crystalline compound with the formula C5H11NO2. It is not produced by the body and must be extracted from food. It is found naturally in dairy products, grains, meat, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, spirulina and torula yeast.

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Web page last updated on 23 June 2003.