Why We Need the Essential and Non-Essential Amino Acids

If you’re interested in proper nutrition and how it relates to muscle building, weight loss and overall health, then amino acidsshould be at the top of your list.These compounds are the building blocks of protein and fall into two categories: essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. They can be found in all foods except oil, and all vegetables if combined with other vegetables can provide most of what the body requires.

There are about 80 found in nature, but only 20 to 30 of these are needed by the body.

Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body. If you are missing just one of these in your diet, your body will break down muscles and protein stores to make it.These compounds are obtained through diet – food and supplements – and include Arginine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenlyalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine, Serine, Tyrosine.

Some of the foods that contain complete proteins, meaning all the essential amino acids, are fish, dairy, poultry and meat. The proteins your body will absorb from these foods are known as high-quality proteins because they can be absorbed more efficiently than those obtained from plants.

Non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body or obtained from foods. If they aren’t obtained through diet, the body can make these compounds from fats, carbohydrates and other amino acids.There are 11 that can be made by the body and part of a protein, including alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine.

There are also others that the body can produce but are not part of proteins, including citrulline, glutathione, hydroxyproline, ornithine and taurine.

These organic substances play unique roles in the body that promote health and prevent disease.

The proteins that essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids make are responsible for most of the reactions that occur inside the cells of the body. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body cannot store them for later use.These compounds play various roles in the proper function and health of many important bodily processes and systems. Some of the things these substances affect are metabolism, cardiovascular health, the nervous system, bones and joints, hormone balance, energy and brain function.

They also are a big part of immune system functions, particularly arginine and glutamine. Arginine helps the body deal with severe burns, growth spurts, injuries and infections, and glutamine is the primary source of energy for the immune system.

Because of the connection between amino acids and protein, getting enough of these organic compounds in your diet is vital to muscle building and weight loss efforts, particularly branched chain amino acids.BCAAs are metabolized by the muscles to build protein or burned as fuel to create energy, and can help build muscle, strength and energy, as well as enhance fat loss. Supplements specifically for BCAAs can help boost workout results in addition to benefiting the other systems in the body affected by amino acids.

Learn more about health, fitness and workout boosters and access a wide selection of nutritional supplements by visiting Slacor Supplements.