Glutamine: An Important Helper for the Immune System
Glutamine is one of the most important helpers of our immune system. Undoubtedly, amino acids are extremely important for our body and form the building blocks of protein. Glutamine, itself a type of amino acid, is responsible for creating protein structures. Of course, there are times when you feel weak or tired. If you feel that your energy is depleted, it is useful to have your glutamine levels checked.
What is Glutamine?
L-glutamine is an amino acid found abundantly in muscle cells and blood. It is classified as a conditionally essential amino acid, which means that the body is normally capable of producing enough to meet its metabolic needs. However, under certain conditions, additional glutamine may be required. For example, during intense exercise, its levels are depleted, meaning more glutamine is required. Because the body needs it and cannot produce enough (although it can be made by the body), supplementation is necessary to help meet the body’s demands.
To put it in scientific terms, when a gene is expressed, it codes for a specific amino acid in three consecutive base pairs, and by linking these amino acids, a polypeptide chain is made, eventually forming a protein. As one of these amino acids, glutamine is encoded by the base pairs CAA and CAG (where C stands for cytosine, A stands for adenine, and G stands for guanine).
Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid, found in human blood at a concentration of approximately 500-900 micromoles. We can say that it is a type of amino acid that is considered conditionally essential. Essential amino acids are amino acids that cannot be produced by the body and therefore must be consumed in the diet. A conditionally essential amino acid is an amino acid that can stop being produced by the body in certain disease states, such as prematurity or severe catabolic distress.
It plays an important role in maintaining the balance of the body’s acid-base ratio. This amino acid is used to remove excess ammonia, a toxic waste product of deamination reactions. It ensures that toxic ammonia is excreted by the kidneys and binds to acids before being excreted. It is also necessary for the production of other substances in the body, such as glucose or other amino acids.
It is made in the muscles and then distributed to various organs in the body through the bloodstream. Usually the body produces enough amounts necessary for normal body functions. But certain conditions, such as injury, surgery, persistent stress, or infection, can lower glutamine levels. When the body needs more glutamine than it naturally produces, a supplement may be prescribed.
What is it for?
Glutamine has several functions, including supporting muscle protein synthesis. In fact, it provides 35% of nitrogen to muscles to synthesize proteins. This will promote protein synthesis. Why is this important? The benefits of maintaining a high nitrogen balance in the muscle prevents muscle breakdown, thus allowing for greater muscle retention. This equals a slimmer you! It may help reduce overall body fat. However, we should also point out that there are no proven and clear sources proving that it has a complete fat burning feature.
But the reference is made to show that it can help add/maintain lean muscle tissue, which means you’ll be leaner. On that little fat burning note, there are some studies that suggest glutamine supplementation has the ability to manipulate tissue insulin sensitivity.
What are the side effects?
It is an amino acid that can be found in various foods and is also produced naturally by the body. There is no reason to believe that it may cause any harm or negative side effects if adhered to the recommended serving stated on the supplement packaging. It is important to always refer to the recommended dosage when taking supplements; If you’re new to a particular supplement, try taking a smaller serving than recommended to reach tolerance.
Can Glutamine Powder Reduce Bloating?
A pretty cool benefit of L-glutamine is that it has the ability to draw water and salt into muscle cells. You may question water retention, which is minimal at best, but the key here is that a hydrated muscle is a healthy muscle! When muscle cells grow, protein synthesis occurs faster.
This means that glutamine stimulates an increase in cell volume as well as muscle protein synthesis. It has anabolic as well as immunostimulating effects, meaning it can help your immune system function properly and even give a nice boost when needed. In some studies, glutamine supplementation has been shown to stimulate the immune system and reduce the incidence of disease after long-term endurance exercise.
What are the Benefits of Glutamine Supplements?
One of the main benefits of glutamine is its repair purposes. It can actually reduce muscle soreness through improved muscle repair and glycogen regeneration! I think its biggest benefit is its ability to regenerate/repair the digestive system. Studies show that glutamine supplements support the health and integrity of the intestinal lining.
When people suffer from IBS, celiac disease, or other digestive issues, the prescription includes glutamine in the protocol to help heal the intestinal lining and reduce symptoms such as bloating. Because the bioavailability of free glutamine is significantly higher than that of glutamine peptides, most research is conducted with the free form of L-glutamine, supporting this form as the preferred use.
How Much Glutamine Powder Should Be Taken?
An effective dosage would be approximately 10g per day. You can go up to about 30g depending on whether you have digestive issues or not. You can easily add L-glutamine powder to your shakes and BCAAs. Remember, we always recommend consulting your doctor before adding a new supplement to your diet!
What are the benefits?
1) Healing the wound
When the body is subjected to extreme stress, for example due to surgery, injury or infection, the hormone cortisol is released into the blood. This increased cortisol level can reduce the amount of glutamine stored in the body. Research has shown that supplemental glutamine may help reduce mortality in people with critical illness or trauma. It has also been shown to boost the immune system and reduce infection, especially infection following a surgical procedure.
2) It improves inflammatory bowel diseases
It plays an important role in protecting the gastrointestinal mucosa. Researchers have suggested that people with inflammatory bowel disease may have glutamine deficiency. However, we would also like to point out that two studies on the effects of glutamine supplementation in Chron’s disease did not show any clinical benefit associated with the supplements.
3) Endurance training
Training for high endurance events such as marathons can lower glutamine levels in the body, and it is common for athletes to develop a cold after such an event. Some researchers believe this is due to glutamine’s effects on the immune system, and one study showed that glutamine reduced infections among athletes after participating in high-intensity activities. There is no benefit in moderate intensity events.
Can We Get Enough Glutamine from Food?
When it comes to the answer to the question of which foods contain glutamine, you can also get plenty of L-glutamine from foods, despite what is conveyed or explained on multiple websites that provide food supplements focused on bodybuilding. In conclusion,
Since the body can produce everything it needs on its own, it has not been considered an essential nutrient.
Therefore, do not be fooled by claims that you can benefit from supplements. Glutamine deficiency is rare, except for congenital diseases such as Kegg’s disease, which affects less than 1 in every 100,000 births.
Some of the foods highest in L-glutamine include:
- Beef: 1.2 grams per 4-ounce serving
- Egg: 0.6 grams per two eggs
- Tofu: 0.6 grams per 3.5-ounce serving
- Sweetcorn: 0.4 grams per half-cup serving
- Milk: 0.3 grams per half-cup serving
- White rice: 0.3 grams per half-cup serving
As probably one of the most overlooked supplements, the benefits of L-glutamine may be a secret to you. But looking at many studies, this underrated amino acid has a lot to offer. Known to relieve excessive bloating, L-glutamine can help relieve daytime bloating. It also supports your immune system as well as your gastrointestinal health.
All this information has been compiled from general sources and studies. We recommend that you consult your doctor before using any supplements related to any vitamins and values that you feel are missing in your body.
Healthy days…