Essential amino acids
Dairy products
| Name | Function | Where can be found |
|---|---|---|
|
Phenylalanine There are 3 forms of phenylalanine: D-phenylalanine, Only the L-form is essential. |
It is used for:
|
Soy, beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, wholegrains, shiitake mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, oats and oat bran, eggs, parmesan cheese, milk, chicken, turkey, liver, red meat, and fish. Phenylalanine is the compound used in the synthesis of flavonoids (known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits). |
| Valine |
Valine is a branched-chain amino acid that works together with isoleucine and leucine. It is used to promote normal growth, repair tissues, regulate blood sugar, and provide the body with energy. Valine helps stimulate the central nervous system, and is needed for proper mental functioning. Valine helps prevent the breakdown of muscle by supplying the muscles with extra glucose for energy production during intense physical activity. Valine also helps remove potentially toxic excess nitrogen from the liver, and is able to transport nitrogen to other tissues in the body as needed. Valine may help treat liver and gallbladder disease, as well as damage to these organs caused by alcoholism and drug abuse. Valine may help treat or even reverse hepatic encephalopathy, or alcohol-related brain damage. A deficiency of valine may also affect the myelin covering of the nerves, and cause degenerative neurological conditions. People that exercise a lot, have a low-protein diet, or are seriously trying to build muscle mass should consider valine supplementation. Valine is involved in curing metabolic and liver diseases, and plays a role in regulating absorption of other amino acids An excessively high intake of valine may cause a skin crawling sensation and even hallucinations. Too much valine in the diet can also disrupt liver and kidney function and increase the amount of ammonia in the body. People with impaired liver or kidney function should not take isoleucine without first consulting a physician. |
Mushrooms, cheese and dairy products, eggs, beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, peanuts, soy protein, wholegrains, spirulina, dried herbs and spices (parsley), sun dried tomatoes, wheat germ, oats and oat bran, rice bran, wheat bran, broccoli, meat. |
| Threonine |
It supports cardiovascular, liver, central nervous, and immune system function. It is used to treat various nervous system disorders including spinal spasticity, multiple sclerosis, familial spastic para paresis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease). |
Lentils, beans, spirulina, parsley, wheat germ, sesame seeds,nuts, soya foods, cottage and parmesan cheese, poultry, fish, and meat. |
| Tryptophan |
It promotes creation of serotonin which is used for the control of:
|
It is plentiful in chocolate, oats, dried dates, sesame, chickpeas, almonds, sunflower seeds, nuts, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, spirulina, peanuts, milk, yogurt, cottage and reduce fat mozzarella, cheese, eggs, soya foods, uncooked oat bran and oats, beans, lentils, red meat, fish, and poultry. |
| Isoleucine | It has a stimulant effect. It is needed for muscle metabolism, tissue repair, and the maintenance of a proper nitrogen balance in the body. It can be used as an energy source by muscle tissue. It helps muscle recovery after exercise. | Soybeans, nuts, seeds, beans, mushrooms, and whole grains, cheese, beef, lamb, chicken, pork, fish. |
| Methionine |
It helps metabolism, breaks down fat, and is the body’s main source of sulfur. It is involved in the creation of cartilage and may also help prevent hair loss and strengthen nails. A deficiency of methionine can lead to inflammation of the liver (steatohepatitis), anemia, and greying hair. However, a diet low in methionine may also extend lifespan and reduce risk of cancer |
Nuts, soy, beans, soy beans, eggs, dairy products, beef, lamb, cheese, turkey, pork, fish, shellfish. |
| Leucine | It stimulates skeletal muscle protein synthesis. (muscle building) |
Nuts, beans, seeds, soybeans, cheese, seeds, nuts, peanuts, beans, beef, chicken, pork, fish, and seafood. |
| Lysine | It acts against cold sores, herpes. shingles, acne, and hair loss. It also increases the intestinal absorption of calcium and eliminates its excretion by the kidney, suggesting that it might be helpful in osteoporosis | Soybeans, tofu, soy protein, and defatted soybean flour, spirulina, fenugreek seed brewer’s yeast, beans and other legumes, dairy products also contain lysine, cheese particularly, parmesan, eggs, cod and sardines, meat, pork, and poultry, |
It is interesting that over the course of evolution, the humans who became omnivores (meat and vegetable eaters) and the animals who are pure carnivores (meat eaters) have lost their ability to synthesize the “essential” amino acids. However, plants could synthesize them and have every amino acid in some trace amounts.
For your information, herbivore animals obtain it from eating plants. That is why meat and poultry contains large amounts of many essential amino acids.
Clearly, in order to get the amino-acids we need, it is important to find the plants with high level of the essential amino acids and create a diet which combines them in sufficient quantities.
That is, do what the herbivore animals do (get the essential amino acids from plants) and avoid the killing of animals. It is a worthwhile effort.
