L-GLUTAMINE

L Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. In a 1995 study conducted by Thomas C. Welboume of Louisiana State University College of Medicine in Shreveport, Welbourne showed that a surprisingly small oral dose of about 2 grams of glutamine raised growth-hormone levels more than four times over that of a placebo. Even more exciting, age did not diminish the response at least in this small study of volunteers, who ranged from thirty-two to sixty-four years.

Glutamine is the amino acid that is most used by the body, particularly during times of stress. The immune system and the gut practically live on glutamine. If the body does not produce enough glutamine, muscle loss and immune dysfunction can occur. The gut atrophies, meaning nutrients all kinds cannot be absorbed as well as before.

A 1993 study by Welbourne in animals showed that glutamine supplementation protects muscle mass and prevents acidosis, which occurs with strenuous exercise and causes muscle breakdown. According to Tudy Shabert, M.D., author of The Ultimate Nutrient Glutamine, supplementation with glutamine, especially in times of stress, would prevent muscle wasting. In a foreword to the book, Douglas Wilmore, M.D., of Harvard Medical School, points out that glutamine is a key to the metabolism and maintenance of muscle, the primary energy source for the immune system, and essential for DNA synthesis, cell division, and cell growth, all factors that are enhanced by HGH. It also crosses the blood-brain barrier into the brain, where it increases energy and mental alertness.

High levels of glutamine in the blood translates into greater health as a 1994 study showed. In a survey of thirty-three people over the age of sixty, those at the top of the scale of blood glutamine levels had fewer illnesses, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and were closer to their ideal weights than people at the bottom of the scale in this nutrient. The low-glutamine subjects had higher rates of arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease, while those who were high in glutamine said that they felt great.