| Glutamine Peptides Glutamine is technically a semi-essential
amino acid because there are times when it cannot be manufactured by the body. When the
body is subjected to such metabolic stress situations as trauma, including surgeries,
cancer, sepsis and burns, Glutamine becomes an essential amino acid. Officially, however,
it is classified as a non-essential amino acid. Glutamine is usually advertized in the
most natural L form. D-glutamine has no biological activity.
Glutamine has a unique structure with each
molecule containing two atoms of nitrogen instead of one -- an aspect that enables it to
clear ammonia from the tisssues, especially the brain. Glutamine is also an important
carrier of urinary ammonia, which is broken down in the kidneys by glutaminase.
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid
in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, and is the only amino acid that easily passes the
blood-brain barrier. In the brain, glutamine converts to glutamic acid, which is essential
for cerebral function. While glutamic acid is probably the active form in the brain, it is
glutamine that is more efficiently transported throughout the rest of the body, ultimately
causing a higher glutamic acid concentration needed in the brain.
Glutamine is the dominant amino acid in
muscle tissue, comprising some 61% of the total amino acid pool: a factor commonly
utilized by body builders to help reduce muscle deterioration during workouts. Because of
its unique structure, containing two nitrogen side chains, glutamine becomes the primary
transporter of nitrogen into muscle cells where it is synthesized for growth. However, the
demand for glutamine by the intestines, as well as by such cells as lymphocytes, appears
to be much greater than what can be supplied by skeletal muscles, which are the major
storage tissue for L-glutamine. Glutamine is also the preferred respiratory fuel for
enterocytes, colonocytes and lymphocytes.
Although glutamine has some great benefits,
there are some who think the peptide-bonded form might actually work better. Much of the
ingested free form L-glutamine does not make it into the blood stream or muscle tissue. It
is estimated that anywhere from 50-85% is immediately used by the intestines, liver, and
the immune system. This is what many scientists refer to as the “glutamine
paradox": a problem which is apparently solved by using the glutamine peptide bonded
chain.
Glutamine peptide is also much more stable
in solution, higher temperatures, and low PH than free form L-glutamine since it tends to
break down to ammonia and glutamic acid rather quickly in solution. The digestive tract
has peptide transport systems that allow peptides to be better absorbed and utilized.
Therefore, the peptide bonded form is thought to enhance the availability of the glutamine
in the bloodstream, making it more readily available to muscle tissue.
Glutamine peptides are bonded to other
amino acids with peptide bonds, making them more stable and better utilized by the body. A
product that combines both ensures better uptake, absorption, and stability and allows for
better transport into the blood stream and muscle tissue.
Benefits:
There are several benefits attributed to
glutamine that science is discovering. Among the most important are its impact on the
immune system and its ability to reduce alcohol and sugar craving severely. It is also
proving to be a valuable supplement in protecting against the side effects of cancer
therapies, impotence, fatigue, epilepsy, senility, and mental problems including
depression and schizophrenia and mental retardation.
Glutamine is often a recommended treatment
to improve mood, focus, concentration, memory, and to increase energy. It is often
deficient in those with chronic yeast overgrowth: a depletion which is partially
responsible for the “fuzzy thinking” described by these individuals.
Glutamine has been particularly successful
in treating those with irritable bowel syndromes -- ulcerative colitis, celiac disease,
ulcers, and leaky gut. Glutamine plays a key role in the metabolism, structure, and
function of the entire gastrointestinal tract. It is the primary energy source for the
cells that line the intestines and is essential in keeping the digestive tract healthy and
functioning properly.
In Europe, glutamine is routinely given to
hospital patients to increase their healing process and immune systems while reducing
their hospital stays. In North America, glutamine peptides in TPN solutions have proven
beneficial in patients with varying forms of catabolic stress including cancer,
transplantation, intensive-care, surgical and the immune-suppressed. Oral glutamine
supplementation has also been successfully used in very low birth-weight infants. |
