Amino Acids
Amino Acids are derived from protein, and supply the building blocks for the necessary function of the body - they are essential to our wellbeing and everyday good health.
After eating protein, it must be broken down into its various constituent Amino Acids. Only when this has taken place, can they be rebuilt to the unique specification of each individual. Each person has there own blueprint for Amino Acid requirements, this is because the blueprint is derived from someone's DNA, and as we know all DNA is unique.
Eating protein does not guarantee our body is able to process or use it; there are multiple factors that can hinder or enhance, protein synthesis, and without these an imbalance can occur.
Factors Affecting Protein Synthesis
Chewing – important for perfect digestion, often the first place things go wrong,
Stomach Enzymes /Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) – essential for digestion, often impaired.
Pancreatic Enzymes/Insulin Production – necessary for further breakdown and absorption of nutrients, often diminished
Small Intestine – absorbs nutrients (cannot when prior digesting inadequate)
Liver – chemical factory for breakdown and rebuild (becomes sluggish & overworked)
Large Intestine – elimination process (must be regular or toxic build-up & parasites)
Our body performs these functions automatically, but only perfectly, if it has optimum conditions. The Gut and digestion, is often where problems begin, and there are things we can do to enhance or hinder the process.
Often, a person will experience some sort of physical sign or symptom that the stomach is under stress, e.g. Indigestion, and the response is often to try and ease the discomfort with ant-acids, whereas sometimes the cause is an underproduction of acid. Stomach enzymes taken as a supplement can greatly enhance digestion, and relieve symptoms of burning bloating, heart burn and pain.
A secondary result of low stomach acid is an imbalance in Gut Flora. It is essential there is a constant flow of good bacteria in your gut. Without this, other harmful bacteria, i.e. Helicobacter Pylori, Candida Albicans, E Coli, can take over, and wreak havoc, causing its own long-term effects.
A good Pro-biotic can redress the balance of Gut Flora, and wipe out an overgrowth of unwanted bacteria, although it is not advisable to take them constantly, and the best possible scenario, is to encourage your body to be able to fight off bad bacteria, therefore having a good HCl level is the aim. nb: if certain stubborn conditions continue, it may be necessary to take a specific course of something such as Samento, which has anti-viral, anti microbial properties, and is well known to kill H Pylori, and other Pathogens.
Most orthodox drugs work by suppressing the symptoms, often targeting the Liver in order to stop it building something up or breaking something down, but not usually by addressing the underlying cause. This puts extra strain on the Liver, often resulting in it becoming sluggish and overworked.
All alternative or complimentary medicine seeks to find and address the underlying cause for any malfunction. It works with the body relying on its strengths, and supporting its weaknesses.
Take a look at the case of Michael
Michael was suffering from severe bouts of indigestion, coupled with extreme discomfort and burning when he lay down. He noticed he felt uncomfortable when he ate bread, and couldn’t tolerate water (his throat would not swallow it) Doctors issued him with prescription medicines to combat Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori), but he found it lacking in correcting the route cause, and in fact exacerbated the condition, killing off good bacteria in the process. Three separate courses of Antibiotics in combination with other medication could not shift it, and the symptoms were getting worse. The next option doctors offered was an Endoscopy – it was at this point Michael decided to look at his symptoms differently. Michael had been living with this for 3 to 4 years - if there was a cause there must be a solution, and so, after some research, he set about firstly to change his diet in order to put less strain on his stomach, and secondly, temporarily eliminated bread. Choosing a lighter diet, with less protein, cereal, and fat, gave his stomach lining a chance to heal. Eating rice, salads, and well cooked, easily digestible foods aided his recovery, and when he discovered Probiotics his symptoms reduced dramatically. As he delved more deeply into his symptoms, he also discovered he had quite an alarming shortage of the B complex as a whole, and so began to take them regularly before a meal. Over time his digestion became a lot more tolerant, and felt less acidic, he had less discomfort, and Acid reflux, and he was able to start reintroducing all the foods he hadn’t safely been able to eat.
Today, 5 years later, Michael has found that for him, some foods definitely work better than others, and there is still more to discover, however, now he is aware, and able to see for himself how things work or don’t work, it has enabled him to maintain an overall better quality of life, and life expectancy. He no longer suffers pain and discomfort after he has eaten, and he no longer needs Probiotics.
NOTE: - The Gut is be able to maintain its own perfect balance of Flora, and it should not be necessary to constantly take a Probiotic,
IMPORTANT: - it is not advisable to eliminate any type of food permanently from your diet, as this can cause malnutrition.
REMINDER: - When re-introducing a food into your diet, only add one thing at a time in order to monitor the effect.
Commonly, people often have nutritional deficiencies, some bordering on malnutrition, and yet have no idea, because their intake of food appears to be normal, and in some cases an optimum diet has been followed, and yet still nutrients are deficient.
Long term amino acid deficit, whether by choice or not, i.e. vegetarian, diet plan, or poor synthesis, will create stress in the body to the point of deterioration in some sort of daily function. They are utilised in movement, digestion, sleep, brain function, memory, mood, and much more, e.g. saliva production, hair growth, stress levels, depression, etc, and each amino acid produces thousands of spin off reactions, responses, and functions, which then go on to create their own momentum.
There is no part of the body that isn't touched by Amino Acids, and they are the building blocks on which we depend for good health.
There are 8 amino acids, considered to be essential and another 14 plus, considered non-essential. ‘None-essential’ does not mean we don’t need them, but that they are able to be made within the body from one or more of the other essential amino acids. All amino acids come from protein source, most commonly meat and fish, but other foods can provide adequate intake e.g. dairy, nuts, pulses, providing there is good digestion, absorption, and enzyme function.
The 8 Essential Amino Acids
Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Valine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan
The 14 Non Essential Amino Acids
Arginine, Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Histidine, Ornithine, Proline, Serine, Selenocysteine, Taurine, Tyrosine
The waste product of protein breakdown produces the toxic substance Ammonia, which then goes on to be broken down in the Liver with the aid of Magnesium to a harmless substance called Urea. However if enough Magnesium is not present in the body to aid in the conversion, toxic levels of Ammonia wreak havoc by interfering with the Krebs cycle which is responsible for our energy production. Side effects of this can be fatigue, headache, lethargy, irritability, and allergy-like reactions to protein.
Amino Acid Deficiency - Tyrosine
A classic example of an Amino Acid shortage is Tyrosine deficiency.
We make Tyrosine in the body from Phenylalanine, but many people have problems with this, and some are born with a genetic predisposition to being unable to produce the enzyme needed to breakdown Phenylalanine, this condition is known as Phenylketonuria (PKU).
An enzyme must have a co-enzyme, in order to unlock it, in this case its B6. B6 deficiency also happens to be a genetic occurrence, and yet B6 is one of the most necessary and widely used co-enzymes in the body of all the B vitamins. B6 can also become deficient for other reasons e.g. poor diet, inability to absorb nutrients, poor stomach acid/enzyme activity, and without it there is a problem.
When there is not enough B6, the process of conversion becomes arrested, and instead creates a metabolite known as Tyramine, culminating in severe Migraines, Thyroid dysfunction, Depression, Indigestion, Constipation, and high stress levels, mood swings, poor brain function, and more.
Methylcobalamin (B12) is also used in the formation of Tyrosine, and is needed for a process called Methylation. This lesser known form of B12 is of vital importance in the conversion from one chemical to another – not every chemical process uses this pathway, however, if Methylation is used, and there is no way of methylating e.g. a shortage of Methylcobalamin, or B6, the resulting product will be what is known as a metabolite which in this case could be Tyramine. It may also result in a precursor to that, when this happens, no conversion is completed, and chemicals are left half changed, causing all sorts of bizarre symptoms generally culminating in a state of un-wellness, and/or a feeling of heaviness, brain fog, weariness or lethargy, headache, inability to concentrate, and leaves the body depleted of Tyrosine needed for several important functions.
After eating protein, it must be broken down into its various constituent Amino Acids. Only when this has taken place, can they be rebuilt to the unique specification of each individual. Each person has there own blueprint for Amino Acid requirements, this is because the blueprint is derived from someone's DNA, and as we know all DNA is unique.
Eating protein does not guarantee our body is able to process or use it; there are multiple factors that can hinder or enhance, protein synthesis, and without these an imbalance can occur.
Factors Affecting Protein Synthesis
Chewing – important for perfect digestion, often the first place things go wrong,
Stomach Enzymes /Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) – essential for digestion, often impaired.
Pancreatic Enzymes/Insulin Production – necessary for further breakdown and absorption of nutrients, often diminished
Small Intestine – absorbs nutrients (cannot when prior digesting inadequate)
Liver – chemical factory for breakdown and rebuild (becomes sluggish & overworked)
Large Intestine – elimination process (must be regular or toxic build-up & parasites)
Our body performs these functions automatically, but only perfectly, if it has optimum conditions. The Gut and digestion, is often where problems begin, and there are things we can do to enhance or hinder the process.
Often, a person will experience some sort of physical sign or symptom that the stomach is under stress, e.g. Indigestion, and the response is often to try and ease the discomfort with ant-acids, whereas sometimes the cause is an underproduction of acid. Stomach enzymes taken as a supplement can greatly enhance digestion, and relieve symptoms of burning bloating, heart burn and pain.
A secondary result of low stomach acid is an imbalance in Gut Flora. It is essential there is a constant flow of good bacteria in your gut. Without this, other harmful bacteria, i.e. Helicobacter Pylori, Candida Albicans, E Coli, can take over, and wreak havoc, causing its own long-term effects.
A good Pro-biotic can redress the balance of Gut Flora, and wipe out an overgrowth of unwanted bacteria, although it is not advisable to take them constantly, and the best possible scenario, is to encourage your body to be able to fight off bad bacteria, therefore having a good HCl level is the aim. nb: if certain stubborn conditions continue, it may be necessary to take a specific course of something such as Samento, which has anti-viral, anti microbial properties, and is well known to kill H Pylori, and other Pathogens.
Most orthodox drugs work by suppressing the symptoms, often targeting the Liver in order to stop it building something up or breaking something down, but not usually by addressing the underlying cause. This puts extra strain on the Liver, often resulting in it becoming sluggish and overworked.
All alternative or complimentary medicine seeks to find and address the underlying cause for any malfunction. It works with the body relying on its strengths, and supporting its weaknesses.
Take a look at the case of Michael
Michael was suffering from severe bouts of indigestion, coupled with extreme discomfort and burning when he lay down. He noticed he felt uncomfortable when he ate bread, and couldn’t tolerate water (his throat would not swallow it) Doctors issued him with prescription medicines to combat Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori), but he found it lacking in correcting the route cause, and in fact exacerbated the condition, killing off good bacteria in the process. Three separate courses of Antibiotics in combination with other medication could not shift it, and the symptoms were getting worse. The next option doctors offered was an Endoscopy – it was at this point Michael decided to look at his symptoms differently. Michael had been living with this for 3 to 4 years - if there was a cause there must be a solution, and so, after some research, he set about firstly to change his diet in order to put less strain on his stomach, and secondly, temporarily eliminated bread. Choosing a lighter diet, with less protein, cereal, and fat, gave his stomach lining a chance to heal. Eating rice, salads, and well cooked, easily digestible foods aided his recovery, and when he discovered Probiotics his symptoms reduced dramatically. As he delved more deeply into his symptoms, he also discovered he had quite an alarming shortage of the B complex as a whole, and so began to take them regularly before a meal. Over time his digestion became a lot more tolerant, and felt less acidic, he had less discomfort, and Acid reflux, and he was able to start reintroducing all the foods he hadn’t safely been able to eat.
Today, 5 years later, Michael has found that for him, some foods definitely work better than others, and there is still more to discover, however, now he is aware, and able to see for himself how things work or don’t work, it has enabled him to maintain an overall better quality of life, and life expectancy. He no longer suffers pain and discomfort after he has eaten, and he no longer needs Probiotics.
NOTE: - The Gut is be able to maintain its own perfect balance of Flora, and it should not be necessary to constantly take a Probiotic,
IMPORTANT: - it is not advisable to eliminate any type of food permanently from your diet, as this can cause malnutrition.
REMINDER: - When re-introducing a food into your diet, only add one thing at a time in order to monitor the effect.
Commonly, people often have nutritional deficiencies, some bordering on malnutrition, and yet have no idea, because their intake of food appears to be normal, and in some cases an optimum diet has been followed, and yet still nutrients are deficient.
Long term amino acid deficit, whether by choice or not, i.e. vegetarian, diet plan, or poor synthesis, will create stress in the body to the point of deterioration in some sort of daily function. They are utilised in movement, digestion, sleep, brain function, memory, mood, and much more, e.g. saliva production, hair growth, stress levels, depression, etc, and each amino acid produces thousands of spin off reactions, responses, and functions, which then go on to create their own momentum.
There is no part of the body that isn't touched by Amino Acids, and they are the building blocks on which we depend for good health.
There are 8 amino acids, considered to be essential and another 14 plus, considered non-essential. ‘None-essential’ does not mean we don’t need them, but that they are able to be made within the body from one or more of the other essential amino acids. All amino acids come from protein source, most commonly meat and fish, but other foods can provide adequate intake e.g. dairy, nuts, pulses, providing there is good digestion, absorption, and enzyme function.
The 8 Essential Amino Acids
Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Valine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan
The 14 Non Essential Amino Acids
Arginine, Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Histidine, Ornithine, Proline, Serine, Selenocysteine, Taurine, Tyrosine
The waste product of protein breakdown produces the toxic substance Ammonia, which then goes on to be broken down in the Liver with the aid of Magnesium to a harmless substance called Urea. However if enough Magnesium is not present in the body to aid in the conversion, toxic levels of Ammonia wreak havoc by interfering with the Krebs cycle which is responsible for our energy production. Side effects of this can be fatigue, headache, lethargy, irritability, and allergy-like reactions to protein.
Amino Acid Deficiency - Tyrosine
A classic example of an Amino Acid shortage is Tyrosine deficiency.
We make Tyrosine in the body from Phenylalanine, but many people have problems with this, and some are born with a genetic predisposition to being unable to produce the enzyme needed to breakdown Phenylalanine, this condition is known as Phenylketonuria (PKU).
An enzyme must have a co-enzyme, in order to unlock it, in this case its B6. B6 deficiency also happens to be a genetic occurrence, and yet B6 is one of the most necessary and widely used co-enzymes in the body of all the B vitamins. B6 can also become deficient for other reasons e.g. poor diet, inability to absorb nutrients, poor stomach acid/enzyme activity, and without it there is a problem.
When there is not enough B6, the process of conversion becomes arrested, and instead creates a metabolite known as Tyramine, culminating in severe Migraines, Thyroid dysfunction, Depression, Indigestion, Constipation, and high stress levels, mood swings, poor brain function, and more.
Methylcobalamin (B12) is also used in the formation of Tyrosine, and is needed for a process called Methylation. This lesser known form of B12 is of vital importance in the conversion from one chemical to another – not every chemical process uses this pathway, however, if Methylation is used, and there is no way of methylating e.g. a shortage of Methylcobalamin, or B6, the resulting product will be what is known as a metabolite which in this case could be Tyramine. It may also result in a precursor to that, when this happens, no conversion is completed, and chemicals are left half changed, causing all sorts of bizarre symptoms generally culminating in a state of un-wellness, and/or a feeling of heaviness, brain fog, weariness or lethargy, headache, inability to concentrate, and leaves the body depleted of Tyrosine needed for several important functions.