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Home > Amino Acid Information
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Amino Acid Basics
 Amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein, making up 75% of the human body. They are chains that link together to form various types of proteins which are essential to nearly every bodily function. Every kind of chemical reaction that takes place in the body depends on amino acids and the protein they build.
Amino acids are the most important substance in the human bodies that not only gives chemical balance but also helps in re-building of tissues, joints, muscles and other organs when injured or degrades due to illness or ageing. They are also responsible for utilizing the useful nutrients for the functioning of the body.
There are 22 standard amino acids, out which 8 are considered as ‘essential,’ which can’t be produced by the body and must be supplied from food or by other means; while remaining are considered as ‘non-essential,’ as they can be made in the body by various metabolic reactions.
 Every time you eat a protein source, whether it is steak, fish, eggs, dairy, peanut butter or beans, you are getting amino acids.
When amino acids from the diet are taken up by the body, they are either used as the building blocks of various types of proteins that the body need for normal growth; or oxidized and used as a source of energy. However, the body does not store amino acids for later use as it does with fats and carbs. As a result, the essential amino acids must be ingested daily. If, body is in deficit of even one out of 10 essential amino acids, protein is depleted from muscles!
The amount of dietary requirements of the amino acids depends on the age and health of the person. Amino acids are life giving substance but those who suffer from diabetes or other kinds of ailments should consult their physicians to get a diet chart that would not affect them adversely when they consume their food. Since there is a range of foods that has amino acid content, it would be easy to substitute one food with the other keeping the amino acid intake proper at the same time not harm the body.
One of the essential amino acid, tryptophan, is used in the treatment of depression, Parkinsonism and sleeping disorders. There are a plethora of non-standard amino acids, some of which play various roles our body, e.g. taurine is a major amino acid in muscle and brain tissue. The food industry uses glutamic acid as a flavor enhancer, Aspartame as a low-calorie artificial sweetener.
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Muscle can't be built with workouts alone. The building blocks of muscle come from amino acids which is the what protein breaks down into. The best muscle building foods for your diet will include a full range of different proteins in your diet.
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