The Health Nut Holistic Nutrition | About Vitamins & How They Help You Live the Life You Deserve

Amino Acids

What Are Amino Acids?

Amino acids are the building blocks used to create proteins, which in turn are the building blocks of all of our body tissue including muscle, bone, skin and hair.

The Health Nut Holistic Nutrition | What Are Vitamins?

Check Out Our Most Popular Amino Acids

Gaba 500mg
$30.50

Product Details
Collagen Liquid Enhanced
$35.75

Product Details
Pure Tranquility liquid 116 ml
$56.25

Product Details
Ligament Restore 120 Capsules
$75.75

Product Details
l-Lysine 90 Capsules
$23.50

Product Details
Digestive Enzymes Ultra 180 Capsules
$61.50

Product Details

12 Next

Different Types of Amino Acids

There are three main different types of amino acids.

Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized by the human body, and therefore they must come from the things that we eat and drink.

If your body doesn’t get enough amino acids from the food you eat, you can supplement additional amino acids by taking the right supplements.

Non-Essential Amino Acids

The human body can make it’s own non-essential amino acids, so while they can come from the things we eat and drink, it isn’t as important to include them as part of a balanced diet because our bodies can make their own as needed.

Conditional Amino Acids

Just because the body is capable in principle of producing an amino acid doesn’t mean it is actually doing so at any given moment. An example of this would be glycine which is an amino acid that the body can make (and for this reason, it has been traditionally classified as nonessential). The body makes glycine by taking serine and transforming it with the help of an enzyme and vitamin B6. If a person is deficient in vitamin B6, it cannot convert serine into glycine. In this situation,
it becomes extremely important for that person to consume glycine in the diet. In other words, under circumstances of vitamin B6 deficiency,
glycine becomes an essential amino acid.

25 Types of Amino Acids

The following tables list the 25 amino acids used in the human body to create proteins our bodies need, which body systems they support, and the most common types of food in which they can be found.

Essential Amino Acids

Histidine

Body Systems Supported
Must be obtained from diet during childhood and growth periods Required for tissue formation and repair

Food Sources
Pork Poultry Cauliflower	Cheese Wheat germ Quinoa	Nuts and Seeds Whole grains Rice

Isoleucine

Body Systems Supported
Helps produce energy in the body Reduces twitching and tremors in animals Used for building muscle

Food Sources
Meat FishPoultry	Cheese Eggs	Lentils Nuts and Seeds

Leucine

Body Systems Supported
Stimulates protein synthesis in muscle Essential for growth Fuel to produce energy Helps heal wounds of the skin and bones

Food Sources
Poultry Red meats Eggs Lentils	Dairy Wheat germ Spirulina Canned navy beans	Sesame seeds Pumpkin seeds Oats Hemp seeds

Lysine

Body Systems Supported
Helps absorb calcium from the intestinal tract Promotes bone growth Helps form collagen Taken daily helps prevent cold sore outbreaks and symptoms

Food Sources
Red meat Pork Poultry Cheese Beets	Cod Sardines Eggs Soybeans Tomatoes	Spirulina Fenugreek seed Avocado Apricots Pears

Methionine

Body Systems Supported
Helps prevent problems of the skin and nails Helps prevent excess fat build up in the liver and the body Helps relieve or prevent fatigue Reduces histimine release

Food Sources
Tuna Salmon Beef Shrimp	Lamb Brazil nuts Soybeans Tofu	Lentils Wheat germ Spirulina Beans

Phenylalanine

Body Systems Supported
Forms norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine Improves memory, alertness and learning Used to treat some forms of depression (eg; bipolar) Gives pain relief in certain musculoskeletal problems

Food Sources
Beef Lamb Chicken Duck Kamut Whole wheat pasta	Pork Tofu Soybeans Tuna Oatmeal Brown rice	Pinto beans Milk Squash Pumpkin seeds Quinoa Sweet potato

Threonine

Body Systems Supported
Necessary for the formation of tooth enamel protein, elastin and collagen Helps control fat build up in the liverPromotes thymus growth and activity

Food Sources
Lean beef Lamb Pork Gelatin	Collagen Cheese Tofu Sunflower seeds	Flax seeds Wheat germ Cashews Lentils

Tryptophan

Body Systems Supported
Precurser to seratonin to improve mood and sleep Most effective to treat acute insomia rather than chronic sleep problems Helpful in treating dental pain, headaches (migraines in particular) and cancer pain Helps lower cholesterol and blood fat levels

Food Sources
Whole milk Canned tuna Turkey Chicken	Oats Cheese Nuts and Seeds Tofu	Fish Beans Oatmeal Eggs

Valine

Body Systems Supported
Helpful in treating addictions Used in genetic alterations including alterations in acncer-causing genes

Food Sources
Meat Fish Soy Dairy	Oats Soybeans Pumpkin seeds Navy beans	Lentils Kidney beans Rye grain Hemp seeds

Non-Essential Amino Acids

Alanine

Body Systems Supported
Essential in converting glucose into energy for the muscles Used to treat hypoglucemia Plays a definite roll in brain metabolism Helps people with immune suppression

Food Sources
Beef Pork Turkey Cheese	Wheat germ Oats Avocado Yogurt	Spirulina Eggs Fish Nuts and seeds

Aspartic Acid

Body Systems Supported
Plays a key role in the biochemistry of many mental health problems like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia Recently connected to chronic fatigue syndrom, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases Aids in energy production of carbohydrate metabolism Helps protect the liver from some drug toxicity and the body from radiation

Food Sources
Soy protein isolate Avacodo Asparagus Molasses Eggplants	Milk Eggs Meat Fish Carrots	Legumes Nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds chestnuts) Cereals (oats, corn) Spinach Potatoes

Asparagine

Body Systems Supported
Aids the metabolic function of the cells of the brain and the nervous system by releasing energy as it reverts back to aspartic acid

Food Sources
Dairy Whey Beef Poultry	Eggs Fish Seafood Asparagus	Potatoes Legumes Nuts and seeds Whole grains

Glutamic Acid

Body Systems Supported
Used in the treatment of epilepsy, high blood pressure and anxiety Aids in healing the small intestine Supports muscle metabolism Used in the treatment of fatigue, Parkinson’s schizophrenia, muscular dystrophy and alcoholism

Food Sources
Meat Poultry	Eggs Dairy products	Whole wheat

Homocysteine

Body Systems Supported
Needed for cell, tissue and bone growth Required for insulin formation Important in the formation of collagen

Food Sources
Chicken Garbanzo beans	Potatoes Bananas	Fortified breakfast cerals Dairy products

Serine

Body Systems Supported
Important in the formation of cell membranes and muscle synthesis Important for detoxification, gene regulation and hormone production Has a natural moisturizing property and is used in moisturizers

Food Sources
Meats Dairy Wheat gluten	Peanuts Soy products Almonds	Eggs Lentils Fish (especially shellfish)

Conditional Amino Acids

Arginine

Body Systems Supported
Essential to the metabolism of ammonia that is generated from protein breakdown Needed to transport the nitrogen used in muscle metabolism Helps build muscle, increase muscle strength and tone Increases metabolism and energy Helps with wound healing

Food Sources
Chicken Dairy products Turkey Beef	Cashews Almonds Pumpkin seeds Sesame seeds	Buckwheat Brown rice Oats Corn

Carnitine

Body Systems Supported
Used to transport fatty acids into cells Reduces blood tryglycerides and choleserol levels Reduces cardiovascular risks Helps with weight loss Improves exercise capabilities

Food Sources
Red meats Fish	Poultry Milk	Wheat Avocados

Citrulline

Body Systems Supported
Lowers nitric oxide Regulates muscle tension Promotes detoxification of ammonia in the blood Helpful with fatigue Stimulates the immune defense system

Food Sources
Watermelon Squash Nuts	Chickpeas Pumpkin Cucumber	Gourds Legumes Meats

Cysteine

Body Systems Supported
Critical regulator of cell health Functions as a detoxification agent in the kidneys Required genetically for sunthesis and repair of DNA Heavily influence immune function Aids in wound healing Helps prevents cancer

Food Sources
Poultry Yogurt Oats Wheat germ	Egg yolks Red peppers Garlic Onions	Broccoli Brussel sprouts Meats Cheese

Glutamine

Body Systems Supported
Penetrates the blood-brain barrier and is used for fuel for the brain Reduces cravings for sugar and carbs Helps heal ulcers Used to help with alcoholism

Food Sources
Chicken Fish Cabbage Spinach	Dairy Tofu Lentils	Beets Peas Beans

Glycine

Body Systems Supported
Important in brain metabolism Needed for collagen synthesis Useful in wound healing Helps treat manic psychological states Aids in calming muscle spasticity Aids in liver detox

Food Sources
Red meats Turkey Chicken Pork	Peanuts Canned salmon Granola Pumpkin seeds	Sesame seeds Almonds Eggs Beans

Ornithine

Body Systems Supported
Helps build the immune system Aids kidneys in removing waste Helps in wound healing Creates nitric acid which widens and relaxes arteries and blood vessles, improving blood flow Supports liver regeneration

Food Sources
Turkey Pork Chicken	Pumpkin seeds Soybeans Peanuts	Spirulina Dairy Chickpeas Lentils

Proline

Body Systems Supported
Helpful for bone, skin and cartilidge formation

Food Sources
Bell peppers Broccoli Strawberries	Citrus fruits Asparagus Mushrooms	Cabbage Dairy Eggs

Taurine

Body Systems Supported
Helps stabalize cell membranes Antioxidant and detoxifying activity in the gallbladder, eyes and blood vessels Heps generate nerve impulses Used in treating epilepsy and other excitable brain states Improves immune suppression

Food Sources
Beef Fish Tuna	Turkey chicken Seaweed	Scallops Shellfish (oysters, clams)

Tyrosine

Body Systems Supported
Important to general metabolism Stimulates growth hormone Suppresses appetite Antidepressant Antioxidant Used for low sex drive

Food Sources
Beef Pork Chicken	Tofu Milk Cheese	Beans Seed and nuts Whole grains

Amino Acids Deficiency & Choosing the Right Amino Acids Supplements

Despite the wealth of resources and modern technology, much of the world still sits in near starvation. Children as well as adults die every day numbered in the thousands from lack of nurishing foods including the right amount of protein and therefore amino acids. Loss of energy and tissue wasting, a process called protein-calorie malnutrition, still remains the world’s most widespread yet correctable malnutrition problem killing millions every year.

Fortunately here in the Western world where food and in particular protein is in abundance, an amino acid deficiency is a rare occurance even among vegans. This is becoming less and less of an issue as we learn more about food combining.

The focus on amino acids here is typically for use in muscle building and workout recovery. Supplementing with amino acids have been proven to enhance muscle growth and strength as well as aid in the recovery process of muscle tears of exertion from working out.

Sipping on amino acids while working out helps to minimize sore muscles! Click here to shop for the right amino acid for you and your workouts.