Glutamine

Overview

Glutamine is an amino acid. Amino acids play many roles within the body. Their main purpose is to serve as building blocks for proteins. Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the body. It is produced in the muscles and distributed via the bloodstream. Glutamine provides the necessary nitrogen and carbon to fuel a variety of cell processes. It is also essential to the production of some amino acids and glucose. Because of this, glutamine plays a key role in fueling the body's natural healing processes and healthy organ function. The body can usually synthesize sufficient amounts of glutamine, but in some instances of stress, such as after a traumatic injury or illness, the body's demand for glutamine increases and can outpace the amount the muscles can produce on their own. Additional glutamine can be obtained from the diet. Glutamine is found in protein-rich sources such as beef, chicken, fish, dairy products, eggs, beans, beets, cabbage, spinach, carrots, parsley, vegetable juices, wheat, papaya, Brussels sprouts, celery, kale and fermented foods like miso. Maintaining adequate levels of glutamine is critical to maintaining a healthy immune system and supporting the body's ability to heal itself.