L-ARGININE & HEART HEALTH
Arginine is a conditionally nonessential amino acid, meaning most of the time it can be manufactured by the human body, and does not need to be obtained directly through the diet. The biosynthetic pathway however does not produce sufficient arginine, and some must still be consumed through diet. Individuals who have poor nutrition or certain physical conditions may be advised to increase their intake of foods containing arginine. Arginine is found in a wide variety of foods, including[2]:
- Animal sources: dairy products (e.g. cottage cheese, ricotta, milk, yogurt, whey protein drinks), beef, pork (e.g. bacon, ham), poultry (e.g. chicken and turkey light meat), wild game (e.g. pheasant, quail), seafood (e.g. halibut, lobster, salmon, shrimp, snails, tuna)
- Vegetable sources: wheat germ and flour, buckwheat, granola, oatmeal, peanuts, nuts (coconut, pecans, cashews, walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pinenuts), seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), chick peas, cooked soybeans
Arginine plays an important role in cell division, the healing of wounds, removing ammonia from the body, immune function, and the release of hormones. Arginine, taken in combination with proanthocyanidins or yohimbine, has also been used as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.
The benefits and functions attributed to oral ingestion of L-arginine include:
- Precursor for the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO)
- Stimulation of the release of growth hormone.
- Improves immune function
- Reduces healing time of injuries (particularly bone)
- Quickens repair time of damaged tissue
- Reduces risk of heart disease
- Increases muscle mass
- Reduces adipose tissue body fat
- Helps improve insulin sensitivity
- Helps decrease blood pressure
- Alleviates male infertility, improving sperm production and motility
- Increases blood circulation throughout the body, including the sex organs
- Improves reproductive ability
