L-Glutamine Benefits
Have you heard about the incredible health benefits of L-glutamine? First used in powder form by people in the fitness industry (including bodybuilders) who were looking to preserve muscle tissue, L-glutamine (also called glutamine) is an amino acid that is a building block of protein and needed by your body in large amounts.
The most common original uses of glutamine powder were to meet the following goals: to lose weight fast, burn fat and help build muscle.
While that remains the case, science now shows that glutamine benefits are abundant. It also promotes digestive and brain health, boosts athletic performance — plus it’s helpful in treating intestinal issues and leaky gut.
In fact, it is one of my top recommended supplements overall for health. Here's why:
What Is Glutamine?
Glutamine is one of 20 naturally occurring amino acids found in protein foods. It’s also the most abundant amino acid in the bloodstream. It makes up 30 percent to 35 percent of the amino acid nitrogen in your blood.
It also becomes essential when an individual faces disease or specifically muscle wasting. This can happen in the course of certain diseases or even physical trauma.
Amazingly, around 60 percent of your skeletal muscle is made up of glutamine – and supplementing with this amino acid can aid protein synthesis and help naturally balance your pH levels.
Food Sources
Found in both animal and plant proteins, glutamine is also available in supplement form and widely popular in the fitness community and beyond.
Glutamine can be found in animal proteins, such as meats and dairy, along with plant protein sources, such as protein shakes, beans, raw spinach, parsley and red cabbage. It’s worth noting, though, that animal proteins tend to provide amino acids that are more digestible than plant proteins.
Studies estimate that most people probably consume between three and six grams of glutamine from their daily diets.
The foods with the most L-glutamine benefits include:
Eggs
Tofu
Milk
Grass-fed beef
Spirulina
Chinese cabbage
Cottage Cheese
Asparagus
Broccoli rabe
Wild-caught fish (cod and salmon)
Venison
Turkey
Corn
Rice
To obtain a healthy amount, a general recommendation is to consume at least three servings of these L-glutamine-rich foods daily.
L-Glutamine Benefits
What are the benefits of taking glutamine? New research now shows that L-glutamine benefits the body in the following ways:
1. Improves Gastrointestinal and Immune Health
L-glutamine benefits your overall health by supporting gut function and digestive processes. It can be beneficial if you a digestive condition, such as:
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
an inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s disease
ulcerative colitis
diverticulitis
leaky gut or any of the issues associated with leaky gut (like joint pain, rosacea or any type of autoimmune response)
A study published in the journal of Clinical Immunology found that L-glutamine normalizes the effects of the TH2 immune response that stimulates inflammatory cytokines. The effects of L-glutamine in these studies show that it reduces intestinal inflammation and can help people recover from food sensitivities.
It’s also known to play an important role in maintaining healthy gut microbiota and immunity. It seems helpful for reducing intestinal colonization and bacterial overgrowth of pathogens. This may reduce the risk for widespread issues ranging from constipation to weight gain.
2. Can Help Treat Leaky Gut and Ulcers
There are millions of people struggling with a condition called leaky gut syndrome. It is essentially the main cause of autoimmune disease today.
Leaky gut can contribute to thyroid issues like Hashimoto’s disease, along with arthritis, skin issues like psoriasis and other serious health concerns.
Because glutamine is the major fuel source for cells of the small intestine, it has been shown to support intestinal health and help treat leaky gut in clinical studies.
A study published in the medical journal Lancet referenced above examined 20 hospital patients and found that supplementing with L-glutamine decreased intestinal permeability. An animal study published in the British Journal of Surgery found that L-glutamine benefits ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
It also shows promise for treating ulcers by providing protection from further damage. Plus, it offers a healthier, natural alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of stomach ulcers.
If you’re unsure if you suffer from leaky gut, this leaky gut test can help. If, indeed, you appear to have leaky gut, L-glutamine is the No. 1 amino acid you need to help heal and repair it.
3. Supports Brain Health
A precursor to the neurotransmitter glutamate in your brain, glutamine is key to boosting your brain health. Why? A disruption of the glutamine-glutamate cycle can result in all kinds of brain problems, including:
Reye’s syndrome
epilepsy
bipolar disorder
schizophrenia
anxiety
depression
alcohol addiction
Glutamine can also help stall brain aging. Mitochondrial dysfunction causes abnormal increases in the neurotransmitter glutamate and, again, puts the brain at risk for developing the above problems.
A study conducted at the New York University School of Medicine showed that even mild traumatic brain injury caused brain atrophy, and most of this damage was due to the disrupted glutamine-glutamate cycle and an abnormal increase in glutamate levels.
4. May Improve IBS Symptoms and Diarrhea
Glutamine helps improve IBS and diarrhea by balancing mucus production. This results in healthier bowel movements.
If you have Hashimoto’s or an underactive thyroid, consider making it a part of your hypothyroidism diet. The same goes for anyone who suffers from IBS symptoms like constant diarrhea or ulcerations.
5. Promotes Muscle Growth and Decreases Muscle Wasting
Whether your goal is to increase athletic performance, boost metabolism, improve recovery or even build muscle, research shows that L-glutamine can significantly aid your efforts. During an intense workout, your body becomes stressed, and your muscles and tendons require more glutamine than the amount supplied by a normal diet.
After an intense workout, the levels of cellular glutamine can drop by 50 percent and plasma levels by 30 percent. This muscle-wasting state is a gateway for the body to use your muscle for energy rather than carbohydrates, but glutamine can help prevent this from happening.
Supplementing with L-glutamine allows your muscles to fight and push a bit further. This boosts your strength and helps repair your skeletal muscles.
A study found that glutamine supplementation makes it possible to recover quicker from intense weight training sessions because it improves muscle hydration. This aids the muscle recovery process and reduces recovery time for wounds and burns.
It’s why glutamine supplementation is not only common for bodybuilders in the bodybuilding industry, but in nearly every athletic pursuit these days.
6. May Improve Athletic Performance and Recovery from Endurance Exercise
One of L-glutamine’s main roles in the body is to support detoxification by cleansing the body from high levels of ammonia. It acts as a buffer and converts excess ammonia into other amino acids, amino sugars and urea.
Doing approximately one hour of exercise can cause a 40 percent reduction of glutamine in the body. It can also cause suppressed immune function. This has a negative impact on your resistance training and may lead to overtraining syndrome.
L-glutamine benefits long distance athletes as well by boosting the immune system (T-helper cells). Animal studies have indicated that this increase in T-helper cells may reduce the “stresses” associated with overtraining syndrome.
However, not every study has found that it necessarily boosts performance. One 2019 review that included data from 55 studies observed that glutamine improved some fatigue markers, such as increased glycogen synthesis and reduced ammonia accumulation, but this intervention did not always increase physical performance.
7. Supports Metabolic and Heart Health
Research has indicated that human growth hormone (HGH) levels go up nearly 400 percent after glutamine supplementation. This hormonal response leads to an increase in resting metabolic rate and improves the afterburn effect or EPOC post-exercise.
This afterburn effect is essential for burning fat, weight loss and building lean muscle mass.
Is glutamine good for weight loss? There’s evidence suggesting that it helps burn fat and build lean muscle mass by suppressing insulin levels and stabilizing blood glucose. This enables the body to use less muscle mass to maintain blood sugar and insulin sensitivity in the cells.
In fact, six weeks of supplementation with 30 grams per day of glutamine powder “markedly improved some cardiovascular risk factors, as well as body composition, in patients with type 2 diabetes” in one study. For this reason, L-glutamine benefits diabetics and those with sugar and carb cravings as well.
Emerging evidence also indicates that l-glutamine plays a fundamental role in cardiovascular health by serving as a substrate for the synthesis of DNA, ATP, proteins and lipids. Additionally it seems to have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that can reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as:
hypertension
hyperlipidemia
glucose intolerance
obesity
diabetes
Conclusion
Glutamine is one of 20 naturally occurring amino acids found in protein foods. It’s the most abundant amino acid in the bloodstream.
It’s known as a conditional essential amino acid because your body uses it in large amounts. This means you need to keep replenishing your supply.
Research suggests that are several important l-glutamine benefits for muscle mass, digestion and brain health. Whether you’re looking to increase your athletic performance, build muscle or improve a health condition such as leaky gut or diabetes, L-glutamine should be a part of your daily diet.
The top food sources include meat, fish, bone broth, spirulina, cottage cheese, and veggies like cabbage and asparagus.
You can also take it in supplement form, typically in doses between two to five grams, taken twice daily.
I've learned so much over the years from Dr. Josh Axe , I highly encourage you to follow him and read through is research.