The subject of a great deal of intense research by
conventional medicine, nutritional therapists and sports
scientists for at least fifty years, arginine is now
regarded as one of the most important and potentially
beneficial amino acids. Technically it's known as one of
the "non-essential" amino acids, but the term in this sense
means only that it can be manufactured within the body and
therefore need not necessarily be obtained from the daily
diet.
"Non-essential" does not in any way imply that these amino
acids are unimportant. Put simply, you need the full range
of both essential and non-essential amino acids to form the
countless proteins from which your body is largely made.
Increasingly, however, there's evidence that individual
amino acids may have more specific functions, with
increasing interest in the possibility of using
supplementation with single amino acids to tackle
particular conditions.
Arginine, for example, has been credited with helping the
body to generate crucially important hormones, particularly
human growth hormone; with improving sexual health and
function; increasing muscle mass whilst reducing body fat;
reducing cholesterol; stimulating the immune system and
enhancing immune system responses.
But perhaps the most important potential benefit of
arginine is its effect upon the health of the
cardiovascular system. There is some research evidence
that doses of 6g or more daily may help reduce low density
lipids (LDL), the so-called "bad cholesterol", and that
arginine may also significantly improve circulation.
Arginine is also an important precursor of nitric oxide, an
important transmitter of neural nerve impulses, and a
compound known to help maintain circulation in the tiny
blood vessels of the brain, protecting against debilitating
and possibly fatal strokes. For the immune system,
arginine acts as a stimulant for the thymus gland, helping
to generate the immune cells vital for tackling infection.
There is also good research to suggest that arginine may
have a "protein sparing" effect, making available the
maximum amount of protein for muscle growth. This has been
found very useful in the treatment of those, for example
the elderly, who have suffered from muscle wasting and
weakness. But when coupled with arginine's apparent
potential as a fat burner, and its stimulation of the
production of human growth hormone; its obvious potential
as an athletic performance supplement, particularly for
strength and power athletes and body builders, has of
course been the cause of great excitement in these
communities. Arginine is also an important precursor for
the body's manufacture of creatine, known as the "natural
steroid" for its muscle and strength building potentiality.
The US Food and Nutrition Board has not prescribed a
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for arginine, probably
adhering to the traditional view that a diet adequate in
protein will almost by definition provide sufficient amino
acids. It is certainly true that outright deficiencies of
arginine are rarely if ever seen in individuals whose diet
contains enough protein, which means most of us in the
affluent West. And it is also true that requirements for
arginine and other individual amino acids vary widely
between individuals, making the establishment of a
meaningful RDA even more difficult than usual.
However, good sources of arginine in the diet include dairy
products and meat, particularly beef, pork, chicken and
turkey. Wheatgerm, grains, nuts, seafood and even
chocolate may also help boost arginine intake. An increase
in the consumption of any of these, particularly the animal
proteins, will also of course increase the intake of
arginine, and a diet including normal quantities of these
foods will usually prevent deficiencies.
It will not necessarily, however, be enough to provide the
major therapeutic benefits of arginine, for which most
practitioners agree free-form supplementation is required
in quantities of at least several grams a day, preferably
taken on an empty stomach. Although it is nomally held
that the maximum benefits of arginine are obtained when it
is taken in isolation, an exception is in seeking to boost
the immune system, when it seems that taking arginine
together with lysine, another amino acid, may greatly
enhance its effects.
As with other amino acids, supplementation with arginine is
generally very safe and no ill effects, other than perhaps
relatively minor gastric upsets, should be observed even at
many times the recommended therapeutic doses. But
important exceptions to this are pregnant women and new
mothers, people suffering from herpes and similar
infections, and sufferers from liver or kidney disease. If
arginine is taken at all by these groups, it should only be
with medical advice.
In any event, supplementation with single amino acids
always carries the risk of creating biochemical imbalances
within the body and should not be undertaken indefinitely
without qualified supervision. Body builders and strength
and power athletes may, for example, find it beneficial to
use arginine during the "bulk up" phase of the training
cycle, thereafter reverting to a more balanced program of
supplementation.
Another word of caution is that as well as its benefits,
the nitric oxide produced by arginine is also a free
radical with potentially harmful ageing and degenerative
effects on the body's cells. This oxidative action does
not remove the possible benefits of taking arginine, but
it does mean that any supplement program should be combined
with a good range of anti-oxidants, including coenzyme Q10
and lipoic acid. And for best results, these should always
be taken with comprehensive multi-vitamin and multi-mineral
supplements.
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Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products.
Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm
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