we talked about an amino acid called homocysteine and how too much of it can damage your heart. You naturally make homocysteine when you use cysteine, but that's no reason to avoid cysteine—this nonessential amino acid is very important to your health. Cysteine is one of the few amino acids to contain sulfur, so you need plenty of it to make glutathione, your body's most abundant natural antioxidant.
You're exposed every day to all sorts of toxins in the air you breathe and the foods you eat. All those toxins end up in your liver, where cysteine and glutathione corral them and escort them out of your body. In fact, cysteine is so good at protecting your liver that it's used in emergency rooms to treat overdoses of acetaminophen (Tylenol), which can cause serious liver damage.
A good way to keep your cysteine level high is to eat foods that contain cysteine or methionine, the essential amino acid your body needs to make cysteine. Good choices are eggs, meat, dairy products, and whole grains. If you want to try supplements, we suggest taking N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), which is made naturally from cysteine. For reasons not fully understood, NAC is absorbed better than cysteine supplements.
Glutamine for the Gut
Based on one flawed study of mentally retarded people, some researchers claim gultamic acid can raise your IQ.We hope you,re smart enough not to fall for this nonsense.
What's the difference between glutamine and glutamic acid? Not much, the two are very closely related, and your body converts them back and forth very easily. These amino acids are used to make many different neurotransmitters. Glutamine is particularly important for your brain and nerves. Glutamic acid and glutamine are very abundant in foods. Some of the glutamine from your food is absorbed directly into the cells of your small intestine to nourish them, while the rest is absorbed into your bloodstream for use in other parts of your body. Some doctors and nutritionists believe that glutamine supplements may be very helpful for people with intestine problems like ileitis and Crohn's disease. Talk to your doctor before you try glutamine supplements.
Lysine: Help for Herpes?
Both forms of herpes simplex cause painful blisters and sores that may also itch, burn and tingle.Genital herpes is now a very common sexually transmitted disease.About 30 million Americans- or one in every six adults -has it.
Some researchers believe that the balance of arginine and lysine in your body plays a role in treating the painful genital blisters and cold sores caused by the herpes virus. Herpes is the name of a group of viruses. Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) is the virus that causes cold sores. Herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) is the virus that causes genital herpes. Herpes zoster is a related virus that causes chicken pox and shingles.
Warning!
There is some evidence that lysine in large dose can slow growth. Do not give lysine supplements to children!
The thinking is that the virus “feeds” on arginine and is “blocked” by lysine. There really isn't a lot of solid evidence one way or the other for this, but many people with herpes swear that lysine works to stop an outbreak. Since not much else helps, it's certainly worth trying. Arginine-rich foods to avoid include chocolate, nuts, seeds, beer, coconut, grains such as oats, whole wheat, peanuts, soybeans and soy products, and wheat germ. Lysine-rich foods to load up on include fish, lean meats, chicken, soy products, milk, and cheese. You can also buy lysine supplements. Many patients say that taking 2,000 to 3,000 mg of lysine at the first sign of an attack helps ward it off or keep it from being as bad.
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