Posted by Larry Hoover on January 4, 2003, at 9:01:29
In reply to Larry H.- Question about L-Arginine, posted by catmint on January 2, 2003, at 14:47:41
> Hello Larry,
> Hope you are doing well.Doing well, thanks. I hope you are, too.
> I was wondering what you know about L-Arginine for SD?
I'm not familiar with arginine supplementation. I'd be happy to investigate it for you, if you give me a little bit of the rationale. I got 25,000 hits in Medline, and I'm not sure what lead to follow.
> Also, for what reasons would a person not be metabolizing protein properly, which I suspect is why some people need to supplement their diets with amino acids?
There are numerous reasons for poor protein digestion and absorption. Achlorhydria or hypochlorhydria (no or low stomach acid production, respectively) would both inhibit the breakdown of peptides (protein) into free amino acids. The chronic use of drugs such as Prilosec actually causes this condition. This also contributes to chronic B-12 deficiency.
A variety of food intolerances, but most particularly, celiac sprue, would cause pathological changes in the gut membranes which would reduce nutrient absorption. I suspect that many people have mild degrees of celiac or lactose intolerance. The degree of irritation of the gut lining may not be sufficient to prompt medical attention, but it would still cause internal injury. If you have any suspicion that you have "food sensitivities", you may have malabsorption.
There are many others, but those are probably the most common problems.
> Also, some argue that standardized extracts of certain herbs, like say St. Johns Wort, are not as effective as the whole herb, meaning that the more "inert" ingredients do play a role in the effectiveness of the herb.
That is absolutely true. The whole concept of extract implies "taking this but leaving that" from the raw herb. For that reason, I prefer to use herbal preparations which are made from the raw herb with extract added.
> Similarly, are single dose amino acids as effective as taking a complete supplement?
Taking single amino acids should really be conceptuallized as taking a drug. Free aminos are readily absorbed from the stomach, so you can bypass intestinal problems altogether. The sudden increase in blood concentration of a single amino causes an enhanced production of the various chemicals made from that amino. Most amino acids compete with one another for access to the pumps that draw them from the blood into cells, and for access to the enzymes which transform them. By taking a bolus (a pulse) of a single free amino, it can outcompete whatever else is in the blood until such time as its concentration drops back towards the background levels.
That said, there are still benefits from taking more complex mixtures of free aminos, as found in whey protein concentrate or soya protein concentrate (the stuff body builders use).
> Do single dose amino acids really work or is it just a placebo effect?
I don't believe that the placebo effect is the best explanation. One final issue: dose. As in any treatment, the dose is essential for the effect. The effective dose will vary from individual to individual, so be prepared to do a little experimenting. If you're going to try free aminos, take them on an empty stomach. Try different doses, and take note of any changes that might occur. If you think dose x caused effect y, change the dose again, and come back to dose x later. If y occurs again, you can gain some confidence that it was caused by that dose.
> Thanks for your time,
> Amy
Happy to oblige. I like good questions. And I've never met a question that wasn't good. ;-)Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:134143
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021230/msgs/134438.html