What Are Amino Acids?
So what are amino acids? Most people just know it as something to do with protein and there’s a whole bunch of them. But why do our muscles need them and what do they really do for our bodies?
An amino acid is an organic compound that contains both an amino (-NH2) and carboxylic acid (-COOH). Proteins are long chains of a certain type of amino acid also known as an alpha-amino acid.
When protein is digested we are left with amino acids. The body uses amino acids like building blocks to form these protein chains or “polymers” and help the body do things like grow and repair. There are 22 amino acids in total, nine of them being considered essential:
Isoleucine: involved with your body’s muscle metabolism and immune function and assists in making hemoglobin.
Leucine: helps make protein and repair muscle tissue, also helps heal wounds and regulate blood sugar levels.
Lysine: involved in making of hormones and producing energy. It’s also important for calcium and immune function.
Methionine: helps tissue growth, metabolism and detoxification. It also helps with the absorption of essential minerals.
Phenylalanine: is needed for the production of your brain’s chemical messengers, including dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. It’s also important for the production of other amino acids.
Threonine: Plays an important role in collagen and elastin. These proteins provide structure to your skin and connective tissue. helps the body form blood clots when needed and immune function.
Tryptophan: Tryptophan helps maintain your body’s correct nitrogen balance. It also helps make a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) called serotonin which is involved in your mood, appetite, and sleep.
Valine: Involved in muscle growth and energy.
Histidine: Histidine helps make a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) called histamine. This chemical is involved in immune function and sleep.
“The uniqueness of different proteins is then determined by which amino acids it contains, how these amino acids are arranged in a chain, and further complex interactions the chain makes with itself and the environment. These polymers of amino acids are capable of producing the diversity seen in life.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557845/
Besides growing and repairing Amino acids also help break down our food, make hormones and other chemicals, help maintain healthy hair skin and nails and help sustain a healthy digestive system.
Amino acids are found within the food we eat. In a previous email, we have talked about how much protein we need in our diets. Meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, and fish contain all nine essential amino acids. Hence why they are referred to as 'complete' sources of protein. I’d also like to note here consuming complete protein is very important within the aging population to prevent loss of muscle mass. Soy and pea protein are plant-based complete protein sources, and other combinations of foods can make a complete course of protein. Finding complete sources can be tough of the vegetarian and vegans out there but it can be done! Nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains are also decent sources of protein but only create a complete protein when they are consumed together. On their own each is lacking a few of the 9 essential amino acids we talked about. If you’re following a plant-based diet you can ensure proper intake of all nine essential amino acids by eating a variety of plant proteins everyday. Quinoa and eggs are also great sources…one egg has all 9 essential amino acids!
Hope that helps,
Happy EATING!
Robyn :)