There are 20 amino acids or building blocks to make protein in your body. The proteins in your body are made up of different combinations of amino acids to give these proteins different functions. Arginine is one of these 20 amino acids.
Of the 20 amino acids there are essential and non-essential amino acids. The essential are the ones that your body cannot make by itself, and you need to obtain through your diet. Arginine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid. This means it becomes essential under certain circumstances e.g., illness, trauma such as burns, and pregnancy.
Arginine plays many roles in your body including:
- Promoting Healthy Blood Pressure
Arginine is needed to make nitric oxide (NO) in your body. One role of NO is promoting optimal blood flow through your blood vessels and helps promote optimal blood pressure. This may also help athletic performance by assisting blood flow and oxygen transfer to the muscles throughout your body.
- Assists in Stable Blood Sugar Levels
Insulin is a hormone which is needed to allow sugar to be taken out from your blood into the cells of your body. NO may help the pancreas, the organ which secretes insulin, to work at its best in response to sugar in your bloodstream. NO may also help the cells of your body to take in and use insulin more easily. This results in greater insulin sensitivity and may assist in controlling blood sugar levels.
- Helps Make Other Amino Acids
Arginine is needed to make other amino acids including creatine, proline, and glutamate.
- Helps Your Immune System Function Optimally
Arginine is needed to active the white blood cells called T cells. These are essential as part of an optimal working immune system.
Arginine also helps your kidneys remove waste from the body, may help to treat erectile dysfunction, reduce inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract in newborn children, and helps your body keep a healthy balance of hormone levels.
Optimal arginine intake can be achieved through an overall balanced diet. Good sources of arginine include seafood, meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, and dairy.
Take home message: Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid which may require supplementation in specific circumstances. In most cases this amino acid can be found in sufficient amounts when are achieving a balanced diet.
References:
- Long-Term Oral l-Arginine Administration Improves Peripheral and Hepatic Insulin Sensitivity in Type Diabetic Patients PierMarco Piatti, Lucilla D. Monti, Gianpietro Valsecchi, Fulvio Magni, Emanuela Setola, Federica Marchesi, Marzia Galli-Kienle, Guido Pozza, K. George M.M. Alberti Diabetes Care May 2001, 24 (5) 875-880; DOI: 10.2337/diacare.24.5.875
- Noyan Gokce, L-Arginine and Hypertension, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 134, Issue 10, October 2004, Pages 2807S–2811S, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.10.2807S
- Bronte V, Zanovello P. Regulation of immune responses by L-arginine metabolism. Nat Rev Immunol. 2005 Aug;5(8):641-54. doi: 10.1038/nri1668. PMID: 16056256.
