Amino acids are your body's building blocks- which cannot be overlooked at any cost. Maintaining them is essential to help you go on to achieve remarkable things and keep your body functioning at its peak.
While there are 20 of them, they're the chemical underdog that is not always spoken about or brought to light when speaking about health. But they should be.
They're the major hack to eating and living your best life. To know more about why amino acids are essential to your existence and how to maintain them, read on.
What is the role of amino acids?
Amino acids are organic compounds which when combined together in long chains they make proteins. Usually they're made up of mainly hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. Amino acids are also essential to provide energy to your body and help many important biochemical processes. There are twenty of them in your body, nine of which are acquired through your diet or supplements.
To give you an idea, here are some of the essential roles they help your body undergo:
Protein synthesis
Amino acids link together to form polypeptide chains, which are folded over into functional proteins. Proteins help transport molecules, send messages to cells and catalase enzymes and provide structural support.
Enzyme function
These are proteins made from amino acids that help facilitate biochemical reactions and support the overall function of your body's enzymes.
Immune function
Amino acids play a key role in synthesising cytokines, immunoglobulins and major molecules that help your body fight against pathogens and foreign substances.
Hormone synthesis
Two major amino acids, tryptophan and tyrosine, help synthesise thyroid hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The pineal gland also secretes these hormones, along with melatonin and serotonin.
Energy production
Amino acids are often metabolised for energy production. They undergo oxidative metabolism to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main energy source of cells.
What are essential amino acids?
Although your body has 20 amino acids, there are nine essential ones that you need to know about. These main amino acids are lysine, leucine, isoleucine, histidine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, threonine, and valine.
If you're unfamiliar with essential amino acids, these names can sound too scientific. To put them into perspective, let's break them down:
Lysine
This essential amino acid plays an important role in synthesising your body's proteins and absorbing calcium. It also helps with energy production, elastin, and collagen production and supports your immune system.
Sources: Eggs, spirulina, soybeans, cheese, pork, poultry, tofu, cod, sardines and cheese
Leucine
Leucine is a BCAA that helps with protein synthesis and muscle repair. Leucine also helps you maintain healthy blood sugar levels, supports wound healing, and produces growth hormones.
Sources: Lentils, eggs, beef, peanuts, cottage cheese, salmon, chicken, hemp seeds
Isoleucine
Isoleucine helps with muscle metabolism and is concentrated in muscle tissues. It also plays a role in haemoglobin production, immune function, and energy regulation.
Sources: Lentils, nuts, cheese, eggs, seeds, poultry, guava, avocado, salami, baked beans
Histidine
Histidine is an essential amino acid that plays a role in the production of histamine, an important neurotransmitter. This neurotransmitter helps with your immune response, sexual function, digestion and sleep-wake cycles.
Sources: Cauliflower, rice, buckwheat, seeds, nuts, eggs
Methionine
Methionine supports detoxification processes in the body and metabolism. It also helps support the absorption of minerals such as selenium and zinc, which help with tissue growth.
Sources: Fish, pork, turkey, cheese, lamb, soy, beans, nuts, lamb
Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine is converted by your body into important neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, tyrosine, dopamine, and epinephrine. It is responsible for the structure and function of enzymes and proteins alongside other amino acids.
Sources: Soybeans, eggs, liver, milk, chicken and beef.
Tryptophan
This helps regulate your appetite, sleep, and mood.
Sources: Lamb, beef, pork, peanuts, dried prunes, bananas, chocolate, turkey, breed and cheese.
Threonine
It helps the structure of proteins such as elastin and collagen. These proteins help support your skin and connective tissues and play a role in your immune function and metabolism.
Sources: Black beans, nuts, soy, egg, legumes, tuna, tofu, green peas and cheese
Valine
This essential amino acid helps with your muscle growth and regeneration of tissues. It also supports energy production.
Sources: Mushrooms, sesame seeds, legumes, fish, egg, beans, podded peas, oatmeal.
Bottom Line
Overall, amino acids are essential for maximising health and well-being. Acting as building blocks to proteins, they're responsible for essential biological processes in your body.
Some of these are protein synthesis, immune response, energy production, structural support, hormone synthesis and enzyme function.
To ensure you get the most out of these benefits, try consuming a balanced diet and obtaining them naturally. If you feel you're not getting enough, you can always take supplements. At Earth's Nurture, all of our supplements use non-GMO ingredients, stick to natural excipients, and are suitable for vegans—try them today.