Glutamine, also known as L-glutamine, is an amino acid (a building block for proteins), found naturally in the body. It is the most abundant amino acid in our body and is crucial for protein synthesis and several other important metabolic processes. Most glutamine is stored in muscles followed by the lungs, where much of the glutamine is made. Glutamine is important for removing excess ammonia (a common waste product in the body). It also helps your immune system function and appears to be needed for normal brain function and digestion.
However, glutamine or l-glutamine is not an essential amino acid, which means that the human body can synthesize sufficient amount of glutamine under normal circumstances. It is manufactured from another amino acid, which is known as glutamic acid. Glutamine is considered as a conditionally essential amino acid, as the body may fail to produce enough glutamine in conditions like, extreme physical stress, severe injury, surgery, infections, and burns. In these cases, it can become necessary to get this amino acid from foods and supplements.
Glutamine is used to counter some of the side effects of medical treatments. For example, it is used for side effects of cancer chemotherapy including diarrhea, pain and swelling inside the mouth (mucositis), nerve pain (neuropathy), and muscle and joint pains caused by the cancer drug Taxol. Glutamine is also used to protect the immune system and digestive system in people undergoing radiochemotherapy for cancer of the esophagus. Additionally, glutamine is used for improving recovery after bone marrow transplant or bowel surgery, increasing well-being in people who have suffered traumatic injuries, and preventing infections in critically ill people.
Some people use glutamine for digestive system conditions such as stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. It is also used for depression, moodiness, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, and enhancing exercise performance.
People who have HIV (AIDS) sometimes use glutamine to prevent weight loss (HIV wasting).
Glutamine is also used for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a urinary condition called cystinuria, sickle cellanemia, and for alcohol withdrawal support.
Glutamine powder can be ordered through most wholesale drug suppliers. Glutamine for commercial use is made by a fermentation process using bacteria that produce glutamine.
Glutamine is a carbon and nitrogen donor and helps restore glycogen which restores energy. Glutamine is the most important component of muscle protein, and helps repair and build muscle.
Here's a list of some of the glutamine benefits:
Glutamine has been linked to protein synthesis. It prevents your muscle from being catabolized (eaten up) in order to provide Glutamine for other cells in the body.
Glutamine helps maintain cell volume and hydration, speeding up wound and burn healing and recovery.
Glutamine benefits you by replenishing declining Glutamine levels during intense workouts.
Research has shown Glutamine can help you produce growth hormone levels. A study has shown 2 grams of L-Glutamine increased growth hormones by over 400%.
Glutamine may serve to boost your immune system. For exercisers, this is important since heavy workouts tend to greatly deplete Glutamine levels. (Glutamine is a primary energy source for your immune system.)
Glutamine is one of the most important nutrients for your intestines. It has the ability to 'repair a leaky gut' by maintaining the structural integrity of the bowels.
Glutamine can also cure ulcers. Studies have found that 1.6 grams of Glutamine a day had a 92% cure rate in 4 weeks.
Glutamine may also be Effective for:
Soreness and swelling inside the mouth, caused by chemotherapy treatments for cancer.
Improving well-being in people with traumatic injuries, when included in a formula used for nutrition.
Treating weight loss and intestinal problems in people with HIV disease (AIDS). Doses of 40 grams per day seem to produce the best effect.
Muscle and joint pains caused by the drug paclitaxel (Taxol, used to treat cancer).
Reducing damage to the immune system during cancer treatment.
Diarrhea resulting from treatment with anti-cancer drugs.
Nutrition problems after major gut surgery (short bowel syndrome).
Depression.
Moodiness.
Irritability.
Anxiety.
Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Insomnia.
Stomach ulcers.
Ulcerative colitis.
Sickle cell anemia.
Treating alcoholism.
Other conditions.
Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the body. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Glutamine is produced in the muscles and is distributed by the blood to the organs that need it. Glutamine might help gut function, the immune system, and other essential processes in the body, especially in times of stress. It is also important for providing "fuel" (nitrogen and carbon) to many different cells in the body. Glutamine is needed to make other chemicals in the body such as other amino acids and glucose (sugar).
After surgery or traumatic injury, nitrogen is necessary to repair the wounds and keep the vital organs functioning. About one third of this nitrogen comes from glutamine.
If the body uses more glutamine than the muscles can make (i.e., during times of stress), muscle wasting can occur. This can occur in people with HIV/AIDS. Taking glutamine supplements might keep the glutamine stores up.
Some types of chemotherapy can reduce the levels of glutamine in the body. Glutamine treatment is thought to help prevent chemotherapy-related damage by maintaining the life of the affected tissues.
Food sources of glutamine include plant and animal proteins such as beef, pork and poultry, milk, yogurt, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, raw spinach, raw parsley, and cabbage.
Glutamine, usually in the form of L-glutamine, is available by itself or as part of a protein supplement. These come in powder, capsule, tablet, or liquid form.
Standard preparations are typically available in 500 mg tablets or capsules.
Take glutamine with cold or room temperature foods or liquids. It should not be added to hot beverages because heat destroys glutamine.
For adults ages 18 and older: Doses of 500, 1 - 3 times daily, are generally considered safe. Doses as high as 5,000 - 15,000 mg daily (in divided doses), or sometimes higher, may be prescribed by a health care provider for certain conditions.
The following doses have
been studied in scientific research:
BY MOUTH:
For reducing mouth soreness due to chemotherapy: glutamine suspension 4 grams, swish and swallow every four hours around the clock starting with the first dose of chemotherapy and continued until hospital discharge or resolution of symptoms.
For HIV wasting: 8-40 grams per day has been used. However, 40 grams daily may work best.
So far, no major glutamine side effects have been observed, especially if this amino acid is obtained from food sources. Supplementation of glutamine is also considered to be safe. Only intravenous administration of nutritional formula containing glutamine has been observed to cause elevated liver enzyme in some studies. Glutamine supplements may cause mania in the patients of bipolar disorder. These two are the possible glutamine side effects.
Apart from these, excessive intake of glutamine can cause diarrhea in some individuals. People with kidney and liver disease and Reye's syndrome are usually advised to avoid glutamine supplements. Individuals allergic to monosodium glutamate should also avoid or take the permission of their health care provider before taking this amino acid supplement. Glutamine supplements can be found in the form of powder and capsules. To derive the glutamine powder benefits to the full extent, it should not be added to hot liquid or beverage, as exposure to heat can destroy it.
Although very few glutamine side effects have been reported, this does not mean negative reactions aren't possible. Possible glutamine side effects:
A rise in the level of liver enzymes.
Urinary problem. The urine production suddenly decreases and mild pain is felt in the lower back where the kidneys are located.
Development of manic depression in the patients of bipolar disorder.
In many people, glutamine cause chills, lightheadedness, dizziness, severe headaches, fainting, fever, puffiness of the face or tongue, tightness in the chest, stomachache and tachycardia.
Development of some psychological disorder due to the excess of glutamine by-products such as glutamate and ammonia in the body.
Increase in the risk of seizures occurrence.
Many glutamine supplement takers experience coughing, hoarseness of the throat and frequent urge to defecate.
Many people, who are on long-term use of glutamine, experience glutamine side effects of yellowing of skin color, a decrease in touch sensation, cold hands and feet, depression, discoloration of finger nails or toe nails, change in vaginal discharge, lack of concentration, and a general feeling of weakness.
Many other glutamine side effects include constipation, body ache, breast pain, indigestion, lack of appetite, emesis of food or blood, flatulence, nausea, swelling around the anus, gas, congestion, dry or sore throat, and runny nose.
Glutamine is POSSIBLY SAFE for most adults and children when taken by mouth, but the potential side effects of glutamine are not very well known.
Adults should avoid using more than 40 grams of glutamine daily. Children, age 3 to 18, should not be given doses that are larger than 0.65 grams per kg of weight per day. Not enough is known about the safety of higher doses in children.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Glutamine (also known as L-glutamine) is an amino acid found in protein-rich foods and also used in dietary supplements. It is also produced naturally by the human body. As with most dietary supplements, it is not clear at this time whether glutamine supplements are safe for use during pregnancy. Therefore, it is a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before taking any supplements that contain glutamine during pregnancy.
Severe liver disease with difficulty thinking or confusion (hepatic encephalopathy): Glutamine could make this condition worse. Don’t use it.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) sensitivity (also known as "Chinese restaurant syndrome"): If you are sensitive to MSG, you might also be sensitive to glutamine, because the body converts glutamine to glutamate.
Mania, a mental disorder: Glutamine might cause some mental changes in people with mania. Avoid use.
Seizures: There is some concern that glutamine might increase the likelihood of seizures in some people. Avoid use.
The following reviews have been selected:
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Good for Recuperation, September 1, 2005
By
F. Silva (Frenchtown, NJ United States)
This is the first time I've used Glutamine so i don't have a point of comparison. The product is a big help in recuperation after my workouts and has given me good results.
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Reviewer: Suezq, 45-54 Female, 1/28/2011 2:00:53 PM
Comment:
My trainer recommended this for me when I started a workout routine. I have not had the sore muscles that I thought that I would. After I take a dose (one scoopful 1 hour before exercise) I am ready and willing to exercise.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Not a miracle supplement, but does what it claims., May 30, 2010
By
Jarrett C. Elliott (Richmond, VA)
I've been weightlifting for a couple years now on and off, and have been using Glutamine Powder for about a year. Like I said in the title glutamine is no miracle supplement that will add 10 lbs. of muscle overnight (anything that claims that is [totally false] anyways). However, what it does claim to do is help with recovery and there is plenty of research to back that claim up. Like I said I've been working out for some time now and I wouldn't keep using a product if I didn't think it was helping.
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Reason for taking: Athletic performance
Reviewer: Tom in Florida, 55-64 Male, 1/9/2011 8:33:37 PM
Comment:
For first 50 years of my life, intense excise of any kind caused intense muscle pain that lasted for days. Aspirin would help control the pain, but not enough to make exercise enjoyable. In my 50s, someome told me about using glutamine. Taking a teaspoon before any intense exercise (e.g., jogging a couple miles, lifting weights) and then about every 12 hours of so after has not only enables to recover more quickly, but to experience much less discomfort when exercising. The type of "pain" is now entirely different, not the sharp pain I would feel before. I also found that the glumaine enables me to stay mentally sharp after exercise, rather than feeling too tired to think. I am now semi-retired and loving more joggin, biking, weights and exercise classes than I was ever able to experience earlier in my life. I wish I had known about the effects of glutamine sooner. (As a result, I have also begun taking whey protein and have improved muscle tone.)
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Product, August 22, 2010
By
N. Sanchez "ALeX" (TX)
Glutamine in my experience helps recover so much faster. I don't know how to explain in how it does that but I feel much more energized. Not so much like caffeine energy but it even helps me foucslike doing simple things like driving, and become alert as it is a Neuro-transmitter.
Another important thing to note is that if you live in the U.S or in the western side of the world then this may benefit you highly since most foods on the western side are acidic. Glutamine ups the alkaline reserves in your body so you don't metabolize your muscles, and have and acidic ph level in your system.
In the end this is great product. I've felt better by using it, but I don't know how much muscle growth I really got helped from it since muscle growth is great there is no real way to shrink my muscles and re-test.
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Reviewer: 45-54 Female, 11/26/2010 6:36:14 AM
Comment:
Works great for (relapsing remitting) MS: more energy (it's the first thing I take in the morning on an empty stomach), less pain, fewer other MS-symptoms, better general well-being, boosts the immune-system. I've had no relapses for ages, although I also take LDN. If I stop taking l-glutamin, I feel much worse almost instantly. Also great when extra energy is needed for doing certain activities (cycling, walking etc.) I take 500 mg. l-glutamine capsules, 1 - 3 per day (dependent on my energy levels).
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Glutamine for Irritable bowel and ulcerative colitis, April 21, 2011
By
Susan Gilbert "Sussi" (Las Vegas, NV)
All my online research about IBS and other forms of colitis, recommend l-Glutamine for healing the intestines. It helps restore the lining. After my original diagnosis, I started using this brand of L-glutamine daily, and it helped immediately.
It also cuts down on sugar cravings. You can't beat that!
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Reviewer: 45-54 Female, 9/14/2010 1:13:14 PM
Comment:
Used to treat Ulcerative Colitis under care of naturopath... Healed within 2 months. Weight returned to normal in about 1 year.
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