What are amino acids?
Amino acids are organic molecules that form the basic constituents of protein. Proteins are simply collections of large particles of accumulated links of peptides (or poly-peptides). In the digestion process proteins are broken down, in a process called hydrolyzation, from poly-peptides to smaller oligo-peptides, then to di-peptides or tri-peptides, which are made up of two or three links of specific amino acids, called free form amino acids, that are finally absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, we can see that amino acids are, quite simply, the most basic building blocks of proteins. Typically, discussions of amino acids revolve around about 20 or so amino acids that are involved in body function. Of these, 8 (some say 10) are deemed to be essential due to the fact that; 1) the body can not make them so that they must be taken in from an external source, and 2) the body can not survive with a deficiency of any one of them. The essential amino acids are; Leucine, Isoleucine, Valin
The answer is simple: amino acids are the building blocks of proteins in our bodies. There are 20 amino acids that can be found in proteins. Humans can produce 10 of the 20 amino acids, but the other 10, which are called essential amino acids, can only be obtained by eating the right foods. Wheat germ, poultry, fish, beans and dairy products all contain the essential amino acids needed for a person to live a healthy, long life. If a person doesn’t get enough essential amino acids in their system, their body’s proteins will begin to degrade in the body’s search for the amino acids it needs. The body stores fat and starch, but not amino acids, which is why it is vital for people to consume all the required essential amino acids daily. What are the body’s amino acids? They are: L-alanine, L-arginine,L- asparagines, L-aspartic acid, L-cysteine,L- glutamic acid, L-glutamine, L-glycine, L-histidine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-lysine, L-methionine, L-phenylalanine, L-proline, L-serine, L-thre
The 23 or so amino acids are the molecular building blocks of proteins. According to one accepted classification, 9 are termed indispensable amino acids (IAA, sometimes called essential), meaning that they must be supplied from some food or supplement source; the others, which used to be classified simply as nonessential, are now more correctly termed dispensable amino acids (DAA) or conditionally indispensable, based on the body’s ability to synthesize them from other amino acids. You may not give it much thought when you sink your teeth into a chicken breast (or lentil stew), but the content and balance of amino acids, particularly the ratio of IAA to DAA, is what determines the body and health building value of a protein food or supplement. But that isn’t all that matters. In addition to being influenced by the carbohydrates, fats and total calories associated with it, protein quality is related to the amount of the specific aminos within both the IAA and DAA categories (for example
Do you ever wonder what goes inside of the foods you eat or the vitamins you take? You probably already know about all of the nutrients your body needs, but do you know what those nutrients really do for your body. Take amino acids for instance. Did you know that they are essential for almost every part of your body? Their strands form together like a chemical reaction, which produces protein. Each strand is made up of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen that makes the protein our bodies need. Our body relies on the protein for growth and repair of almost all of our body. Without the protein we would not have our long beautiful hair or nails and most importantly our organs would not function properly. There are 20 different acids that make protein, but there are only 10 that are actually produce by the body. Since not all of the acids are produced, we must provide it with the proper nutrients to keep our bodies healthy and strong. The 10 acids that our body can produce are called non
