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 helps in forming proteins and is responsible for releasing the bodies growth hormones. In addition it makes nitric oxide. This is a vessel relaxant, which helps to improve blood circulation.

L-Aspartic Acid is deemed non essential in humans, since that it can be transaminated from oxaloacetate. Natural sources of L-Aspartic Acid are sugar cane and sugar beets, among others, like beef, poultry, eggs, potatoes, dairy, etc. Asparagine, which is deemed a synonym for L-Aspartic Acid, is required by the nervous system, but it also plays a vital part in the synthesis of ammonia. As an important participant in the citric acid circle in human metabolism, L-Aspartic Acid is vital for the proper function of many other amino acids and biochemical components, such as lysine, methionine, asparagine, arginine and isoleucine. L-Aspartic Acid seems to be able to increase stamina, thereby increasing the endurance in athletic competitions and workout regimes; furthermore it seems to increase the body’s resistance to fatigue.

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 is one of the nine essential amino acids that is not produced in the body. It can be obtained from animal sources like liver, fish, eggs, chicken, meat and vegetable sources like rye, cashew nuts, almonds, lentils, chickpeas and soy proteins. The metabolism of L-Isoleucine takes place in muscle tissue. It is needed for the formation of hemoglobin and stabilizes and regulates blood sugar and energy levels. It is also known to increase endurance levels and helps in the recovery of muscles after exercise. It strengthens the immune system’s ability to fight off infections and increases the level of growth hormones and insulin to maintain the body’s balance. A deficiency leads to a number of physical and mental disorders with symptoms similar to hypoglycemia.

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 is an essential amino acid obtainable from daily food sources we consume. It has many medicinal properties which benefit us in our daily lives. While it is mainly used in the treatment of herpes, it also helps us become stronger by building our muscle tissues. It helps us to recover form injuries and surgeries besides absorbing calcium for building healthy bones. It also regulates the production of antibodies, enzymes and hormones which are required for healthy immunity level. L-lysine when consumed in high doses can lead to serious conditions. Although L-lysine is important for good health, we never really realize we are consuming it. Deficiency of L-lysine causes lethargy, amnesia, enzyme disorders, reproductive problems and hair loss. Generally, L-lysine is present in all vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods. Fish and cereals have higher amount of L-lysine in them.

L-Methionine- Methionine is a nonpolar essential alpha amino acid containing sulfur; one of only two proteinogenic amino acids besides cysteine. Methionine is vital to several biosynthesis processes of phospholipids as an intermediate, the prominent list includes taurine, lecithin, carnitine, phosphatidylcholine and cysteine, just to name a few. This water soluble antioxidant assists in the lipid breakdown and works against free radicals. Just like many such amino acids, it can be obtained through ingestion of dietary proteins, such as meat, eggs, cheese, fish and poultry, but some levels are also available from spinach, sesame seeds and Brazil nuts. It has been found that an inadequate conversion of methionine may cause atherosclerosis. This glycogenic amino acid is also part of other biochemical reactions, like the creation of S-adenosylmethionine, which in turn is a part of the synthesis of epinephrine, melatonin and creatine, among others.

L-Phenylalanine is a vital amino acid. It acts as a building block for various proteins produced in the body. It is found in most foods that contain protein, like poultry, beef, pork, milk, fish, yogurt, cheese, eggs, soy products, and certain nuts and seeds. It can assist in decreasing chronic pain linked with different health conditions by inducing nerve pathways in the brain which control pain. It can also help improve rigidity and is beneficial in conditions like walking disabilities, depression associated with Parkinson’s disease, and speech difficulties. Combination of L-Phenylalanine with ultraviolet radiation for people having vitiligo, a condition that is characterized by irregular depigmentation or white patches of skin, can lead to some darkening or repigmentation of whitened areas, especially on the face.

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- 2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid, or L-Threonine, an enantiomer of Threonine, which is an essential amino acid, needs to be ingested by way of diet, predominantly through Threonine containing proteins. There are two ways how Threonine can be metabolized, namely conversion into pyruvate by utilizing Threonine dehydrogenase, whereby an intermediate can thiolyze with CoA, producing acetyl-CoA and glycine; and the second possibility, where Threonine is changed into alpha-ketobutyrate, utilizing serine dehydratase, towards becoming succinyl-CoA. Succinyl CoA is a CAC intermediate, which means that it is a part of the citric acid cycle. The citric acid cycle is a vital part of the metabolic pathway which is securing the conversion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats towards usable energy. Foods containing Threonine are meat, poultry and fish and related products, cottage cheese, sesame seeds and lentils.

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- L-Valine is one the three Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). The other two BCAAs are L-isoleuine and L-leucine. L-Valine is required by the body for the proper function of the nervous system and the brain. L-Valine is not processed by the liver; instead, it goes directly to the muscles. It helps enhance muscle growth and help it to recover faster after an intense workout. It also helps in muscle tissue repair and maintains the proper amount of nitrogen in the body. It can also be used as an energy source that gives energy and strength to the muscles. L-Valine has other benefits; it is also helpful in liver regeneration, improvement of insomnia and nervousness, and is an effective appetite suppressant.