We all love a fast fix, especially when it comes to losing weight or gaining muscle. If it really was as easy as adding a powder into your daily regimen, would it be a no-brainer way to shed pounds? Enter Glutamine Amino Acid. Here’s everything you need to know about using glutamine amino acid to lose weight. Does it really work, and how can you use it to your benefit?
Disclosure: You’re the only one that truly knows your body best, so make good choices and trust your body. This post is an informative one on glutamine amino acid and its benefits, so please do what’s right for you when it comes to your health. Consult a doctor when in doubt.
What Is Glutamine Amino Acid?
Before we get into what glutamine amino acid (also called L-Glutamine or simply glutamine) is, we first need to brush up on our body chemistry and what amino acids are. In a nutshell, they’re teeny molecules that combine to form proteins. Made of organic chemicals, our bodies use them to help our bodies grow, break down our food, and repair itself when necessary.
There are three types of amino acids:
Amino acids are classified into three groups:
- Essential amino acids – Our bodies cannot make these types, so we have to rely on the foods we eat to acquire them.
- Nonessential amino acids – Our bodies can produce these types, so we’re not dependent on the foods we eat.
- Conditional amino acids – Not essential for our diets unless we’re ill or under stress.
It’s worth noting that while we don’t need all three every time we eat, we do need a fine balance of them in our diet. In a non-scientist style of describing it, glutamine amino acid is THE most prominent amino acid in our bodies. Our organ systems receive them through our blood and are created by our muscles.
In our bodies, muscles burn more calories than fat. Therefore, if we can increase the effectiveness of our muscles with glutamine and help them work more efficiently, in theory, we’d be burning more calories and therefore lose weight by sticking with the same amount of caloric intake.
Additionally, folks with illnesses like HIV/AIDS, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell disease rely on the use of glutamine to help with complications – even burn victims use it to help with recovery. If you’ve ever been given glutamine in the hospital after surgery, it’s been shown to help speed recovery.
Who should NOT take glutamine supplements?
On the flip side, if you have liver disease, kidney disease, or Reye’s Syndrome, you definitely shouldn’t take glutamine supplements.
Foods High in L-Glutamine
There are several tasty foods that have naturally high levels of glutamine:
- Red cabbage
- Seafood
- Tofu
- Grass-fed beef
- Eggs
- Legumes
- Milk, yogurt & ricotta cheese
- Nuts
- Beans
- Parsley
- Dark, leafy greens
- Organ meat (not my bag, but you do you)
However, if these don’t sound like your bag of chips, there are glutamine amino acid supplements that people swear by to lose weight fast.
Glutamine Amino Acid Supplements and Weight Loss
To keep you in the know, several studies show that glutamine does help with weight loss when taken appropriately. But why does it work for fast weight loss? According to the studies with the studies, the amino acid alters what’s in the microbiome of your gut (the good bacteria that are necessary for good overall health).
Additionally, glutamine may help reduce gut inflammation that causes a plethora of chronic conditions, one of which is obesity. Lastly, it may help with insulin sensitivity, which can help your body’s natural ability to keep your blood sugar levels in check.
How to Take Glutamine Amino Acid
There’s no magic to taking glutamine amino acids, but there are a few key steps to make it work the best for you. If you’re wondering where to purchase it, you can find it anywhere from GNC to Walmart to Amazon. Fortunately, it won’t cost you an arm or leg for a bottle. From my research, prices for glutamine supplements are anywhere from $7 per bottle to $25 to buy in bulk form.
First, you need to decide whether you prefer it in a capsule/tablet or powder form. Next, for it to work at its peak effectiveness, make sure to take it twice daily in between meals. If you enjoy exercising, take glutamine roughly 30 minutes after a workout to help with the absorption and protein synthesis of your muscles.
Lastly, don’t take more than the recommended dosage at any given time, which is ½ milligrams to three grams each. Never take more than 40 milligrams a day. Stop taking if you have any of the following side effects:
- Nausea, stomach pain, or bloating
- Dizziness
- Heartburn, especially if you haven’t had it before
- MSG sensitivity
- Lightheadedness
More serious side effects include seizures, fast heart rate (tachycardia), blood in the urine, difficulty swallowing, and changes in skin color. These are very serious and would require immediate medical attention, so make haste to the doctor or emergency care.
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