L-Alanine- As one of the twenty alpha amino acids that are proteinogenic, which means that these amino acids are building blocks of proteins, L-Alanine is the second most abundant amino acid, with leucine being the first. This nonpolar amino acid can be produced by the body by means of reductive amination of pyruvate and some branched chain amino acids, like isoleucine, leucine and valine. Liver and tissues depend on alanine, which plays a prominent role in the glucose alanine cycle. Alanine is also involved in the removal of nitrogen from tissues to the liver, but alanine also assists in the blood sugar tapping of the body for energy requirements. Despite being a non-essential amino acid, alanine is found in meat, dairy products, fish, poultry, eggs, some beans, nuts and seeds, brown rice bran, corn and whole grains, among other sources.

L-Arginine is a very important amino acid that is required by the body for a number of functions. One of the main functions of L-Arginine is its ability to rid the body of ammonia, which is a waste product. It is also used in the manufacture of nitric oxide, which helps to relax the blood vessels, thereby increasing the flow of blood and reducing the chances of a heart attack. It is advised that supplements of L-Arginine should not be administered following a heart attack for fear that it could possibly aggravate cardiac shock. L-Arginine is being used in treating people with erectile dysfunction, as it relaxes the blood vessels surrounding the penis. It is also used in treating migraine and blood pressure.

L-Aspartic Acid is very significant in producing energy. Helps to move NADH to the proper energy producing section of the body. This allows the NADH to make ATP the fuel power for cells.

L-Cysteine is one of the many naturally occurring amino acids. It is further termed as a protein amino acid. Promoting the stomach lining health is one of the main functions of l-cysteine. It also helps in correction of situations where the essential nutrients from food sources are not being absorbed properly. Generally, most people do not need supplements for obtaining l-cysteine amino acid. It is can easily be found in vegetable, meats and dairy products. Although, l-cysteine is also available in the form of cysteine, which is found in plenty of protein enriched foods. Cysteine is one of those amino acids which are not destroyed by cooking. On the contrary, research shows that cooking of food rich in cysteine may help you absorb them better.

L-Glutamic Acid- In the proteinogenic group of twenty amino acids, the group that is deemed the building blocks of proteins, L-Glutamic Acid is one of the more commonly known ones. The reason for this fame are the carboxylate anions and salts of the glutamic acid, the glutamates. Glutamic acid is present in many fermented or aged food sources, such as cheese and soy sauce, but also in yeast extracts. The sodium salt of glutamic acid, monosodium glutamate, is a very popular and widely used food additive. Glutamate is an extremely important molecule in cellular metabolism. Glutamate is also one of the most commonly occurring excitatory neurotransmitters. Glutamate has been also identified as a precursor to GABA inhibitor. Glutamic acid is deemed responsible for one of the five basic tastes, the human taste sense commonly called umami.

L-Glycine- Glycine is an organic compound and one of the 20 amino acids deemed as building blocks for proteins. This proteinogenic amino acid is not only the smallest but also the only amino acid of the group that is not chiral, which means there is no enantiomer of glycine. With the prominent exception of collagen, which thirty five percent are glycine, most proteins contain only small amounts of it. As a solid, glycine is sweet tasting, crystalline and has no color. Despite being non-essential, because it can be biosynthesized from the amino acid serine, glycine has several important physiological functions, besides being a precursor to proteins. It is a biosynthetic intermediate of purines and the D-Aminolevulinic acid and it is an inhibitory neurotransmitter found in the central nervous system.

L-Histidine is an essential amino acid that produces histamine, which aides with allergy systems.

L-Isoleucine- The second of three branched chain amino acids it is important in blood sugar regulation and producing hemoglobin. After exercise, it is responsible for muscle recovery and important in the metabolism to produce energy.

L-Leucine, is an alpha amino acid which is extremely essential in the everyday functioning of the body. Leucine is also an essential amino acid, meaning that the human body cannot synthesize it and it has to be ingested. And is found in brown rice, nuts and whole wheat bread products. L-Leucine as an essential amino acid increases the synthesis of muscle protein and thus slows the degradation of muscle tissue. L-Leucine is also utilised in the liver, adipose tissue and muscle tissue. Simply put, L-Leucine supplies the body with energy when engaging in an athletic activity, it preserves the glucose stored in muscle tissue and it works to heal bone, skin and muscle tissue. It is also a ‘limiting nutrient’ thus it helps the body make use of the proteins ingested. Leucine deficiency can lead to depression, muscle weakness, low energy etc.

L-Lysine- Lysine is an essential alpha amino acid that needs to be ingested and cannot be synthesized by the human body. Sources of L-Lysine include meat, particularly red meat, lamb, poultry and pork, but also cheeses, like parmesan, some fish like cod and sardines and eggs. Several plants are rich in L-Lysine, soybean, lentil, spinach and buckwheat, but also buffalo gourd, watercress, locust bean and many other bean variants, including the common bean. L-Lysine is deemed vital for the overall production of protein, as a structural building block. It seems that L-Lysine also plays a prominent part in the absorption of calcium. Further properties include playing a role in the production of enzymes, hormones and antibodies, but also in the recovery from sports injuries and surgeries.

L-Methionine, an essential amino acid for the human body, acts as a building block for proteins. Since the body cannot produce it naturally, you need to take it through supplements and diet. This antioxidant is found in dairy products and meat and is essential for producing creatine. It is soluble in water and helps in breakdown of fats. You can also find L-Methionine in vegetables and fruits. Since it is a glycogenic amino acid, it helps in forming glycogen and D-glucose. On a daily basis, experts recommend only 13 mg of L-Methionine for adults. These supplements are not only effective in liver disease treatment but also beneficial for individuals who follow a vegetarian diet. You can enhance the quality of your skin, hair and nails by taking L-Methionine supplements.

L-Phenylalanine gained notoriety with the aspartame controversy where extensive internet bombardment against the artificial sweetener prompted a thorough cleaning by The Coca Cola Company and other interest groups. Now it seems that aspartame has more benefits to health than aspirin. L-Phenylalanine is an essential alpha amino acid that is deemed analgesic and antidepressant. It is hydrophobic and nonpolar, one of only twenty common amino acids that are used to produce protein as coded by the DNA. L-Phenylalanine can also convert into L-Tyrosine, which can then become L-DOPA, going forth to become norepinephrine, dopamine or epinephrine. Phenylalanine is very often found in foods, protein rich foods like meat, milk and milk products, poultry and fish, but also as already mentioned in the artificial sweetener aspartame.

L-Proline is a proteinogenic alpha amino acid, one of only twenty amino acids that are DNA encoded for the forming of protein. It is not deemed essential because humans are able to synthesize it from the amino acid L-Glutamate. This unique member of the twenty protein building block amino acids is the only one of the group that is distinct as belonging to the secondary alpha amino group. L-Proline plays a role in the synthesis of collagen. Collagen is undeniably the most common protein in mammals, being found in skin, tendons, joints, ligaments, vasculature and bones. It is deemed good for the health of joints, when taken as a supplement. Low protein diets, vegetarian and vegan diets as well as malnutrition lead to diminished L-Proline levels.

L-Serine- Serine is an organic compound and a proteinogenic amino acid that is considered a building block for the creation of proteins. This member of the hydroxyl group and a polar amino acid is not essential and therefore it is not necessary to ingest it by means of diet. L-Serine can be synthesized from metabolites such as glycine. L-Serine plays a role in the biosynthesis of pyrimidines and purines, furthermore it is a precursor to many metabolites like sphingolipids and to amino acids like cysteine and glycine. It is also involved in catalytic functions of several enzymes. L-Serine can be transformed into D-Serine by the serine racemase, which functions as a neuronal signal and NMDA receptor activator in the brain, a vital glutamate receptor responsible for memory functions and synaptic plasticity.

L-Threonine is an essential alpha amino acid, classified as polar. There are three proteinogenic amino acids that have an alcohol group, besides threonine there are tyrosine and serine. Like many other amino acids that are not synthesized in humans, threonine needs to be ingested through protein food sources that contain it, namely meat, poultry, cottage cheese, fish, sesame seeds and others. When ingested, threonine goes either through the threonine dehydrogenase and becomes pyruvate or, as in humans, it can be converted by the enzyme serine dehydratase to alpha ketobutyrate and continue towards succinyl-CoA. Threonine is also supposed to assist the protein balance by maintaining normal growth, but in addition to that, it seems to support the immune system, the central nervous system, the liver and the cardiovascular system.

L-Tryptophan is an essential amino acid made from proteins during the digestion by the action of proteolytic enzymes. It promotes the production of serotonin that is involved in vasopressure regulation. It also helps regulate blood pressure, and prevents atherosclerosis. It is also involved in treating depression, anxiety, enhance mood, improve sleep, and control impulses. It may also be used for treatment of attention deficit patients. It also helps in weight loss because it curbs the cravings and suppresses appetite. L-Tryptophan also plays an important role in the production of niacin. It helps relieve and alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. It also promotes the production of growth hormones.

L-Valine is an amino acid in combination with L-Leucine and L-Isoleucine. These amino acids maintain everyday life and offer maximum support. L-Valine is acquired from vegetable and animal protein. L-Valine regulates the immune system and is involved in the protein synthesis and glucose metabolism. L-Valine is effective in muscle growth as well as tissue repair. L-Valine is a part of the muscle metabolism and is also effective in the nitrogen balance in the body. L-Valine is found in the muscles in high concentration, but this cannot be done on its own in the body and has to be acquired through dietary or food supplements. L-Valine has stimulating effect and maintains the nitrogen in the body. It is effective for repair as well as growth of tissues and for muscle metabolism. Adhering to the label directions is highly recommended. This is normally safe and has no side effect until now. However, for the dietary supplement consulting the physician before use is the best.