| Amino Acids | |||||
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Amino acids are the building blocks of all protein foods.
Once protein in foods have been digested in the stomach and intestines, they are broken down to their basic structure - the amino acids that make them up. These amino acids are then repackaged by the body and are used as a vital substance in all the cells of the body.
Amino acids are basically chains of: a central carbon plus hydrogen, an amino group and an acid group attached to it.
Amino acids are normally either essential or non-essential amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids and 14 non-essential amino acids.
As the name suggests, essential amino acids are necessary to sustain life and must be taken in each day. Non-essential amino acids are not vital as they can be either made from other amino acids or by the body from other substances.
Some non-essential amino acids can become essential if the body is ill, run down or cannot get enough of them in the diet. Taurine, generally a non-essential amino acids, becomes essential for babies as their bodies cannot yet produce their own.
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- Essential amino acids need to be eaten in the form of complete proteins each day
- Vegetarians need to be extra vigilant to ensure they get enough essential amino acids by combining their foods appropertiately
- Amino acids are required to synthesise the many diffrent kinds of proteins in the body, required for various vital bodily functions
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Amino acids are necessary for the following main functions:
- as building material for growth and maintenance of body tissues - muscles, blood, skin, basically everything
- as enzymes - to act as a catalyst that break down, build and transform substances
- as hormones - for the various endocrine functions in the body
- regulating body fluid levels - to ensure the body is hydrated properly
- acid-base regulators - maintaining th balance in acids and bases within the body
- transportation - to transport substances around the body, which if the protein was not available, would not be able to travel anywhere
- antibodies - defence of the body against disease through the immune system
- as a source of energy - if there is not enough glucose in th body, protein will be destroyed to keep you alive
There are other various roles for amino acids in the body.
references
- Cynober LA. Metabolic & Therapeutic Aspects of Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition. 2nd Edition, 2003. CRC Publishing
- Osiecki, Henry, The Nutrient Bible 2002, BioConcepts Publishing
- Rolfes SR, Pinna K, Whitney E. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition. 7th Edition, 2005. Brooks Cole Publishing
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