Glutamine!

Glutamine is needed by anyone that has stress in their lives.....
Hence, everyone!  

 Not very often do I find an article online that has everything I want to say about something in one article, so I end up writing my own, but this one was fantastic!  It covered all aspects that I wanted to and was very well written, so I have copied and pasted the main parts, and at the bottom of the blog, there is a link to the whole article. It is great!  So thank you to Natural News for such a great article, saved me a bunch of typing and its nice to find such good articles around the internet. :)


Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the blood stream, and while the body is able to produce the amino acid, it becomes unable to produce sufficient amounts of it during times of stress. This makes it a conditionally essential amino acid. Conditionally essential amino acids must be obtained from dietary sources or supplements when the body is unable to produce enough of them. Times of stress include anytime the body has undergone trauma or contracted illness or disease that it must heal from, it also includes when weight lifting or straining your muscles through any endurance training. 

Glutamine plays an important role in strengthening the lining if the gut. With the many chemicals the human stomach is exposed to these days, there is a good chance your gut may require some maintenance and repair. Gut health is necessary and essential for overall health and well being.

Even serious gastrointestinal and digestive diseases such as Crohn's, IBS and Colitis can see substantial improvement with glutamine supplementation. Glutamine supplies fuel for fast multiplying cells, such as those in the gastrointestinal systems. Many of the drugs used to treat these diseases only mask the symptoms, while causing serious side effects. On the other hand, there are studies in which patients of these diseases have seen nearly complete recovery with glutamine supplementation alone.
Glutamine is also useful for treating diarrhea, as it decreases loss of electrolytes and water from the small intestines. Glutamine's role in the health and healing of the gut and intestines is unparalleled.

 

 

Glutamine for muscle recovery

 

Athletes who are interested in preserving muscle tissue and decreasing recovery time from training sessions can benefit from glutamine. Two thirds of the glutamine stores in the body reside within the muscle tissue. During times of stress and intense physical exertion the body releases high levels of the muscle wasting hormone cortisol, which can decrease glutamine stores. Supplementing glutamine can help keep the body in an anabolic state, making it easier to build and maintain muscle mass.

 

Supplementing glutamine

 

It is necessary to supplement glutamine if you are interested in its healing and anabolic benefits. The wound healing properties of glutamine are only present in amounts 2 to 7 times greater than required in healthy persons.

Daily dosage recommendations

Ulcers - 2 grams
Anabolic purposes - 5-15 grams
Gastrointestinal diseases - 5-20 grams

 

 

 

 

You can always go buy a big bucket of powdered glutamine, or you can eat glutamine rich foods. :)

 

According to a 2007 review in the journal "Nutritional and Dietetics," there is more glutamine, or its precursor, glutamate, in meat than any other amino acid. According to the authors, glutamine-rich meat protein is 94 per cent digestible. Since glutamine is found in the muscles of humans, it is also found in the muscles of other mammals. For all of you out there watching your meat intake, there are many non-meat forms of Glutamine as well. 

 

Cows milk protein is 6-9% glutamine. (Goat milk has more per ounce, but I will have to do a whole blog on different milks, because while researching the glutamine levels of goat milk I came across SO much great stuff! just know that is has more glutamine per ounce then cows milk.) :)

 

Beans, raw spinach, raw parsley and cabbage are good sources of glutamine, however, plant proteins are not as readily digested as animal proteins. Sufficient glutamine may be present, but the body cannot access it. A World Health Organization report estimates that bean proteins are 78 per cent digestible, compared to eggs, ranked at 97 per cent. Peanuts and peanut butter rank 94 and 95 per cent respectively. Interestingly, farina had the highest plant protein digestibility at 99 percent. Soy protein is 95 percent digestible and contains up to 8 percent glutamine.

If you are doing serious weight lifting or are healing from a major injury, I would suggest doing both, then cutting out the powdered supplement when you can. It is ALWAYS better to get your dietary requirements in their most natural form. (the only exception to this that I make is glucosamine, but I will write another blog about that one!)

 Remember, there should be balance in all your nutrition.

HAPPY RECOVERY!

 

 

 

 For the full article from Natural News.com about glutamine supplementing for healing, read HERE