Glutamine is an important amino acid with many functions. It is a component of protein and a key part of the immune system.
In addition, glutamine has a special role in intestinal health.
Your body naturally produces this amino acid, which is also found in many foods. However, you may not be sure if you need additional glutamine supplementation for good health.
Read this article to learn everything you need to know about glutamine, after which you will make the right choice.
What is glutamine?
Glutamine is an amino acid. Amino acids are molecules that play many roles in the human body.
Their main use is to make up proteins. Proteins are vital for organs. They also have other functions, such as transporting substances in the blood and fighting off harmful viruses and bacteria.
Like other amino acids, it comes in two different forms: L glutamine and d glutamine.
They are almost identical, but have slightly different molecular structures.
The form found in food and supplements is l glutamine. Some supplements list it as l glutamine, but others simply call it glutamine.
While l glutamine is used to make proteins and perform other functions, d glutamine appears to be relatively unimportant in living organisms.
Glutamine can be produced naturally in your body. In fact, it is the most abundant amino acid in the blood and other body fluids. However, sometimes your body's need for glutamine exceeds its capacity to produce it.
It is therefore considered a conditionally essential amino acid, which means that it must be obtained additionally from your diet under certain conditions, such as when you are injured or ill.
In addition, glutamine is an important molecule for the immune system and intestinal health. Glutamine is an essential amino acid. Glutamine is found in food, supplements and in the body. It is part of the proteins in your body and is involved in immune function and gut health.
It is found in many foods
Glutamine is naturally found in a variety of foods. It is estimated that an adult needs between 3 and 6 grams of glutamine per day, but this can vary depending on your specific diet.
Animal products contain the highest amount of protein.
However, some plant-based foods contain more vitamin d in their protein.
One study used advanced laboratory techniques to determine the amount of l -glutamine in various foods.
The following are the percentages of protein made up of l-glutamine in each food:
Eggs: 4.4% glutamine in protein (0.6 g per 100 g egg) beef: 4.8% glutamine in protein (1.2 g per 100 g beef) skim milk: 8.1% glutamine in protein (0.3 g per 100 g milk) tofu: 9.1% glutamine in protein (0.6 g per 100 g tofu) white rice: 11.1% glutamine in protein (0.6 g per 100 g tofu) 11.1% glutamine (0.3 g per 100 g rice) maize: 16.2% glutamine in protein (0.4 g per 100 g maize) although some plant sources, such as white rice and maize, contain significant amounts of protein made up of glutamine, the overall protein content is quite low. Meat and other animal products are therefore the easiest way to obtain large amounts of protein and glutamine.
Unfortunately, the exact amount of glutamine in many specific foods has not been studied. However, as glutamine is an essential component of protein, almost any food that contains protein will contain glutamine.
Ensuring that you get enough protein in your overall diet is one of the best ways to increase your glutamine intake.
Almost any food containing protein will contain glutamine, but in varying amounts. Animal foods are a good source because they contain protein. Getting enough protein from your diet will ensure that you are getting enough protein.
It is important for the immune system
One of the most important functions of glutamine is its role in the immune system.
It is a key source of fuel for immune cells, including white blood cells and certain intestinal cells.
However, its blood levels can drop as a result of serious injury, burns or surgery. If the body's demand for glutamine is greater than its production capacity, your body may break down protein stores, such as muscle, to release more of this amino acid.
In addition, without sufficient glutamine, the function of the immune system can be impaired.
For these reasons, high protein diets, high glutamine diets or glutamine supplements are often used after serious injuries such as burns.
Some studies have shown that glutamine supplementation can improve health, reduce infections and shorten post-operative hospital stays. More importantly, they have been shown to improve survival rates and reduce healthcare costs in critically ill patients.
Other studies have shown that glutamine supplementation may also improve immune function in animals infected with bacteria or viruses.
However, there is no strong support for a benefit in healthy adults who can be satisfied by diet and the body's natural production.
Glutamine plays an important role in immune function. However, during illness or injury, the body may not be able to produce enough glutamine. Glutamine supplementation can help improve immune function and maintain protein stores in the body.
It plays a role in gut health
The immune system benefits of glutamine are linked to its role in gut health.
In the human body, the gut is considered to be the largest part of the immune system. This is because of the many immunocompetent gut cells and the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut, which influence your immune health.
Glutamine is an important source of energy for the gut and immune cells. It also helps maintain the barrier between the inside of the gut and the rest of your body. This prevents harmful bacteria or toxins from entering the rest of your body from your intestines.
In addition, it is important for the proper growth and maintenance of cells in the intestine. Because of the gut's primary role in the immune system, glutamine may benefit your overall immune health by supporting the cells in your gut.
Effects on muscle gain and exercise performance
As glutamine is a component of protein, some researchers have tested whether taking glutamine as a supplement can improve muscle gain or exercise performance.
In one study, 31 people took glutamine or other supplements during a 6 week period of strength training.
At the end of the study, both groups showed improvements in muscle mass and strength. However, there was no difference between the two groups.
Other studies have also shown that it has no effect on muscle mass or performance.
However, other studies have reported that glutamine supplementation can reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery after exercise.
In fact, one study found that glutamine or glutamine and carbohydrates could help reduce fatigue markers in the blood, during a two-hour run.
It has also been used to improve immune function in athletes, but the results of various studies vary.
Other studies have found that it does not improve recovery of carbohydrate stores (glycogen) in the muscles when carbohydrates and certain amino acids are added.
Finally, there was no evidence of a benefit of glutamine for muscle gain or strength building. There is limited support for other effects, but more research is needed.
It is worth noting that many athletes consume large amounts of protein in their daily diet, meaning that they may be consuming large amounts of glutamine even without supplementation.
In conclusion, there is little support for the use of glutamine supplements to build muscle or increase strength. However, they may reduce fatigue or reduce muscle soreness during and after exercise.
Dosage, safety and side effects
Since glutamine is an amino acid that is naturally produced by the body and found in many foods, normal amounts of glutamine are not harmful.
It is estimated that a normal adult diet may contain between 3 and 6 grams per day, which may be sufficient for the body's needs. (this amount can vary depending on the type and amount of food)
Studies on glutamine supplementation have tested using a variety of doses, ranging from about 5 grams per day to a high dose of about 45 grams per day over a 6 week period. Although no negative side effects have been reported with such high doses, the blood safety aspect has not been specifically examined.
Other studies have reported that short-term supplementation of up to 14 grams per day is safe.
In general, short-term use of such supplements is safe.
However, some scientists have raised concerns about their continued use. The addition of glutamine to the daily diet may lead to various changes in the way the body absorbs and processes the amino acid. However, the long-term effects of these changes are currently unknown.
Therefore, more information is needed about long-term testing and research, particularly on the changes brought about when high doses are used.
If you eat an animal-based, high-protein diet, rather than a plant-based, low-protein diet, then additional glutamine supplementation may not have any significant effect.
If your diet is predominantly plant-based and low in glutamine, you may be able to obtain a normal daily intake by consuming supplements.
If you decide to take a glutamine supplement, it is best to start with a conservative dose of about 5 grams per day.
In general, it is safe to consume glutamine contained in food and to take glutamine supplements for a short period of time. However, glutamine supplements can affect the way your body processes the amino acid. More research is needed on their long-term use.
Before taking glutamine supplements, take a look at our article that will help you make a determination.
