Digestive system
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Because this amino acid provides energy to the digestive cells, it aids those cells in their regeneration and renewal. Therefore it supports the absorption ability of the intestine.
Furthermore, diseases in the digestive system like Crohn’s disease are almost always accompanied by reduced permeability of the intestinal wall. This ultimately leads to poor utilization of vitamins from the food you have eaten.
Indian researchers have investigated glutamine and they found that taking L-glutamine supplements as part of your diet (0.5g per kilo of body weight) can drastically increase intestinal permeability and thus improve the intake of the vital substances coming into your body2.
Immune system
Cells which divide quickly, such as those in the immune system, are very reliant on having a good supply of L-glutamine. This is why medical procedures like bone marrow transplants have much lower death rates when a targeted supplementary regime containing this amino acid has been given beforehand.
Nervous system
Glutamine is important for the nervous system. Buy the bestselling glutamine supplements from Amazon.com
Glutamine has important uses in the nervous system. This is because it is chemically similar to the neurotransmitter glutamic acid.
To transport messages in the body, the nerve cells must be stimulated successfully sequentially in a row. After the initial stimulation, the neurotransmitter has to be transported back to the earlier cell which previously released it in order to pass along the message.
When back in the old cell, the body converts the neurotransmitter into glutamine so that it does not accidentally excite the next cell and send a false message. In this way, a second and unwanted stimulation of the nerve cells can be avoided. Finally, glutamine is turned back into glutamic acid for the cycle to start again when needed.
As L-glutamine also has a certain antioxidative potential, it can also protect human cells from destruction by free radicals. It is therefore able to, up to a certain point at least, prevent degenerative neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
Cancer treatment
Another important field of application for this amino acid is in cancer treatment. In the past, scientists carried out several studies demonstrating its effects against tumours 3.
In their conclusions the researchers showed that appropriate L-glutamine supplementation can considerably improve the metabolism and entire clinical state of cancer patients without increasing tumour growth.
They found that glutamine positively affects, among other things,
- an increase of the immune system’s activity,
- increased rate of cell renewal and,
- a stronger creation of glutathione.
Furthermore, this amino acid can lower the risks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy which reduces the strain on these patients’ health.
Glutamine deficiency
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If your glutamine levels drop to lower than your body needs, the consequences can be serious. Not consuming enough L-glutamine over long periods of time can lead to your immune system having lower levels of activity and problems with absorbing vitamins.
Thus, not only do you then have a higher risk of infections, but also a lack of many other important nutrients because your intestine has not managed to absorb all the nutrients from food you have consumed, leaving them unused.
If your body is suffering from an infection or trauma, the amount of free glutamine in your body’s muscle systems will reduce by up to 50%, and symptoms like tiredness and fatigue will occur. Similarly, levels are lower if you have a demanding training regimen. In order to avoid this consequence, L-glutamine supplements can be used, which will then improve the abilities of your immune system and stop inflammation at the same time4.
Glutamine or glutamate?
Glutamate is a flavour enhancer which originates from the Far East. As it is an edible product, it is permitted by many laws regulating nutrition in amounts of up to 10g per kilo of food.
Glutamate is the salt of glutamic acid. It is therefore chemically not comparable to, nor to be confused with, the amino acid glutamine.
As a food additive, companies should identify the different forms of glutamate on packaging using the E-numbers E621 to E625. Companies prefer, however, to label their food with words like ‘spices’ or ‘yeast extract’, which is also permitted.
Scientists have not proved any toxic effects of glutamate in high doses yet. In the 1940s children were administered with over 40g of glutamate per day over several months. At the time, people thought it could boost intellectual abilities. Neither an intellectual increase nor long-term toxic effects could be proven by the study.
However if you are taking supplements, you should make sure you follow the instructions on the packaging and do not exceed the maximum recommended dose.
Conclusion
Glutamine is not an essential amino acid because the body can synthesise it, but it is popular in sports and weight training to avoid muscle catabolism post workout. It has many uses including providing energy for all of your cells. It also regulates the stability of acids and bases in the body and thus keeps proteins active. Due to its multitude of positive benefits, scientists have started to use L-glutamine in treatments of illnesses such as cancer and Crohn’s. It can efficiently and effectively alleviate symptoms and lead to a faster recovery.
