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Have you heard about the incredible health benefits of L-glutamine? Glutamine has long been used in powder form by people training in the gym who want to build and preserve their muscles, L-glutamine is an amino acid that is a building block in protein and is needed in large quantities by your body.
Glutamine powder is often used to achieve goals such as losing weight quickly, burning fat and helping the body build muscle.
But glutamine has many more benefits. It also promotes digestion, brain health, increases athletic performance, and aids in the treatment of intestinal problems and leaky gut . A dietary supplement with glutamine and collagen together with prebiotics is one of the best combinations to overcome stomach and intestinal problems. In fact, we recommend this particular dietary supplement for the treatment of leaky gut and stomach problems.
With the chemical formula C5H10N2O3, glutamine is one of 20 naturally occurring amino acids found in foods that contain protein. It is also the most abundant amino acid in the blood. It constitutes 30 percent to 35 percent of the amino acid nitrogen in the blood.
Amazingly, about 60 percent of your skeletal muscle is made up of glutamine—and a supplement with this amino acid can aid protein synthesis and help naturally balance your pH levels.
Glutamine is found in both animal and vegetable proteins as well as in dietary supplements, often together with the protein collagen.
Glutamine is found in animal proteins, such as meat and dairy products, along with plant-based protein sources, such as beans, raw spinach, parsley and red cabbage. However, it is worth noting that animal proteins tend to contribute amino acids that are easier for the body to digest than those from plant proteins.
Studies have shown that most people probably consume between three and six grams of glutamine from the foods they eat each day.
Foods rich in glutamine:
To get a healthy amount, a general recommendation is to consume at least three servings of these L-glutamine-rich foods daily.
What are the benefits of taking glutamine? Research shows that L-glutamine benefits the body in the following ways:
L-glutamine benefits your overall health by supporting bowel function and digestive processes. It can be beneficial if you have digestive problems, such as:
*Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis together with microscopic colitis are collectively called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a long-term disease that causes inflammation in the small and/or large intestine. Sometimes the disease can be dormant and sometimes active. When the disease is active, it is called a relapse.
For example, a study published in the journal Clinical Immunology found that L-glutamine normalizes the effects of the TH2 immune response that stimulates inflammatory cytokines. The effects of L-glutamine in these studies show that it reduces intestinal inflammation and can help people recover from food sensitivities.
Glutamine is also known to be important for maintaining a healthy gut microbiota and immunity. The amino acid glutamine reduces intestinal colonization and bacterial overgrowth by pathogens. This can reduce the risk of widespread problems ranging from constipation to weight gain.
A 2018 article published in Nutrients also states that "in vitro and in vivo studies have established that glutamine is an essential nutrient for lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production, macrophage phagocytic plus secretory activities, and neutrophil bactericidal." In fact, glutamine is currently a recommended dietary supplement for immunocompromised individuals.
There are millions of people who struggle with a condition called leaky gut syndrome. It is essentially the leading cause of autoimmune disease today.
Leaky gut can contribute to thyroid problems like Hashimoto's disease, along with arthritis, skin problems like psoriasis, and other serious health problems.
Since glutamine is the main fuel source for cells in the small intestine, this important amino acid, along with collagen, has been shown in clinical studies to help treat leaky gut.
A study published in the Lancet medical journal examined 20 hospital patients and found that a dietary supplement with L-glutamine reduced intestinal permeability. An animal study published in the British Journal of Surgery found that L-glutamine improves ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammation of the lining of the colon and rectum. Sometimes only the rectum is inflamed. Common symptoms are blood in the poop and diarrhea, and you may feel a rush to get to the toilet. Ulcerative colitis does not go away, but with treatment it is often possible to live without problems.
If you think you have leaky gut, the #1 amino acid L-glutamine along with collagen is what you need to help heal and repair it. A dietary supplement that also contains prebiotics in combination with collagen peptides and glutamine can also help boost the intestinal flora (intestinal microbiota). What is meant by microbiota? Microbiota is a microscopic ecosystem on a plant or animal, where microorganisms such as fungi, viruses, and bacteria live in symbiosis with each other. All multicellular plants and animals studied so far have their own microbiota.
Glutamine is a precursor to the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain, and is therefore important for brain health. Why? A disruption of the glutamine-glutamate cycle can result in various types of brain problems, including:
Glutamine can also help stop brain aging. Mitochondrial dysfunction causes abnormal increases in the neurotransmitter glutamate and puts the brain at risk of developing the above problems.
A study conducted at the New York University School of Medicine showed that even mild traumatic brain injury caused brain atrophy, and most of this damage was due to the disrupted glutamine-glutamate cycle and an abnormal increase in glutamate levels.
Glutamine helps improve IBS and diarrhea by balancing mucus production. This results in healthier bowel movements.
If you have Hashimoto's or low thyroid function, taking this amino acid may be beneficial. The same goes for anyone who suffers from IBS symptoms with constant diarrhea.
Whether your goal is to increase performance, increase metabolism, improve recovery, or even build muscle, research shows that L-glutamine can be beneficial. During an intense training session, your body becomes stressed and your muscles and tendons require more glutamine than is usually obtained from a normal diet.
After an intense workout, cellular glutamine levels can drop by 50 percent and plasma levels by 30 percent. This muscle-wasting condition is a gateway for the body to use your muscles for energy rather than carbohydrates, but glutamine can prevent this from happening.
That a dietary supplement with L-glutamine does not allow your muscles to perform better and longer. This increases your strength and helps repair your skeletal muscles.
A study showed that a dietary supplement with glutamine enables faster recovery from intense strength training sessions because it improves muscle hydration. This helps the muscle recovery process. Therefore, a supplement with glutamine is good for everyone who exercises and not just for muscle builders.
One of L-glutamine's main roles in the body is to support detoxification by clearing the body of high levels of ammonia. It acts as a buffer and converts excess ammonia into other amino acids, amino sugars and urea. In organic chemistry, an amino sugar is a sugar molecule in which a hydroxyl group has been replaced by an amine group. More than 60 amino sugars are known, one of the most common of which is N-Acetyl-d-glucosamine, which is the main component of chitin.
Exercising hard for an hour can reduce the levels of glutamine in the body by 40 percent. It can also cause suppressed immune function. This has a negative impact on your training and can lead to overtraining syndrome.
L-glutamine benefits long-distance athletes by strengthening the immune system (T-helper cells). Animal studies have shown that this increase in T helper cells can reduce the "stress" associated with overtraining syndrome.
Research has shown that human growth hormone (HGH)* levels go up almost 400 percent after taking a glutamine supplement. This hormonal response leads to an increased resting metabolic rate and increases calorie expenditure, or EPOC, after exercise. The intensity of cardio training has the greatest impact on EPOC. The more intense the workout, the longer it will take for the body to recover. This means that calorie consumption is higher after a high-intensity workout compared to a low-intensity workout. EPOC is essential for fat burning, weight loss and muscle building.
*What does hGH do?
Growth is regulated by growth hormone (hGH) produced in the pituitary gland, a gland in the brain. The hormone is also needed to build a strong skeleton, regulate the balance between fat and muscle, develop the body's organs and generally contribute to feeling well.
Is glutamine good for weight loss? There is evidence to suggest that it helps burn fat and build muscle mass by suppressing insulin levels and stabilizing blood sugar. This allows the body to use less muscle mass to maintain blood sugar and insulin sensitivity in the cells.
In fact, six weeks of supplementation with 30 grams of glutamine powder per day "significantly improved certain cardiovascular risk factors, such as body composition, in patients with type 2 diabetes" in one study. For this reason, L-glutamine can benefit diabetics and those with large cravings for sugar and carbohydrates.
Recent evidence also suggests that L-glutamine plays a fundamental role in cardiovascular health by acting as a substrate for the synthesis of DNA, ATP, proteins and lipids (fat). In addition, it appears to have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as:
L-glutamine is synthesized by the body from glutamic acid or glutamate. If the body cannot produce enough, it must get it directly from your diet or from supplements with glutamine.
A large part of the population suffers from digestive diseases, so it is clear that our diets are seriously lacking in certain nutrients that are important for the digestive tract. While L-glutamine is synthesized by the body from glutamic acid or glutamate, sometimes the body cannot produce enough - plus the majority of people do not seem to get enough L-glutamine from food alone if they eat low-protein diets.
Causes that result in too little glutamine:
It is therefore important to supplement your diet with glutamine to strengthen your immune system and improve your ability to fight infections and diseases.
Glutamine has even become a common supplement for very sick patients. According to a study published in the medical journal Critical Care, glutamine dipeptide-supplemented parenteral nutrition "continues to be associated with a significant reduction in hospital mortality and hospital length of stay."
Dosage and recommendations
2500 mg of glutamine together with collagen and prebiotics can be beneficially taken at breakfast or another meal to heal a leaky gut and improve stomach problems. Glutamine also supports your metabolism and weight loss, and promotes optimal muscle building and recovery during exercise.
Risks and side effects
Overall, glutamine appears safe to consume in moderate amounts. There may be side effects when taken in doses up to 20 to 30 grams per day, which are very high doses (may be safe for a shorter period).
Although the effects of excess glutamine rarely cause problems, if you are taking a glutamine supplement long term, it is a good idea to also supplement with B vitamins. This is especially true of vitamin B12 , which controls the build-up of glutamine in the body.
Anyone with a history of kidney disease, liver disease, Reye's syndrome, or cancer should not take a glutamine supplement without a doctor's supervision, as these conditions can affect how amino acids are absorbed.
Conclusion
Glutamine is one of 20 naturally occurring amino acids found in protein foods. It is the most abundant amino acid in the blood.
It is known as a conditionally essential amino acid because your body uses it in large amounts. This means that you must continue to replenish your bodily stores.
Research suggests that there are several important L-glutamine benefits for muscle mass, digestion and brain health. Whether you want to increase your performance, build muscle, or improve a health condition like leaky gut or diabetes, L-glutamine should be part of your daily diet.
