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Amino Acids

What are Amino acids?

Amino acids are the molecular building blocks of Proteins and hundreds of different amino acids exist in nature. When protein is broken down by digestion the result is 22 known amino acids. Eight are essential amino acids, meaning that they must be supplied from some food or supplement source; the rest are non-essential, based on the body’s ability to synthesize them from other amino acids.

Essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Non-essential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Other amino acids, such as carnitine, are used by the body in ways other than protein building and are often used therapeutically.

RESOURCE REFERENCES This information has been gathered from the Australian Government's Natural Health and Medical Research Centre, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, The UK Government's Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals, US's Office of Dietary Supplements National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and a number of other reputable publications. This information should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and it is not meant to be substituted for medical advice.