The 9 Essential Amino Acids

1. Histidine

2. Isoleucine

3. Leucine

4. Lysine

5. Methionine

6. Phenylalanine

7. Threonine

8. Tryptophan

9. Valine

The 9 Essential Amino Acids

Some sources list eight essential amino acids and others list nine. This is because histidine, which used to be considered essential only for infants was later reclassified as an essential amino acid when it was found to be indispensable for humans

Other lists include histidine as well as arginine, which is only essential (must be added to the diet) for premature infants, who can't make it on their own.

Vegetarian Food Sources of Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids are the building blocks of protein. These foods can be plant or animal proteins, but it can be more challenging to people on plant-based or vegan diets to make sure they get enough essential amino acids.

When we eat protein, it is broken down in our gastrointestinal tracts into individual amino acids and then put back together again as new proteins. This complex biological process is called protein biosynthesis.

Plant proteins rich in essential amino acids include combinations of whole grains, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. Of these, only soybeans are considered a complete protein. Other plant proteins are considered " incomplete" because they contain only some essential amino acids.

Protein powders, especially whey isolate powders, are an excellent source of complete protein and contain all of the essential amino acids. Pea protein contains all nine essential amino acids except for methionine.

Animal proteins that are rich in essential amino acids include beef, pork, turkey, chicken, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, and seafood. Animal proteins are considered " complete proteins" because they contain all of the essential amino acids.

What's the Recommended Daily Amount of Essential Amino Acids?

Amino acids are present in protein foods, so recommended levels of amino acids are made in terms of daily recommended protein intake.

Protein needs vary widely from one individual to another. Pregnant women, for example, need more than other women. People who exercise vigorously also need more protein than sedentary people.

A way to calculate the minimum amount of protein you should eat every day is to multiply your body weight in kilograms by 0.8, or your weight in pounds by 0.36.

This amounts to:

· 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man.

· 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman.

The 22 Amino Acids

Alanine	Cysteine *	Aspartic Acid
Glutemic Acid	Phenylalanine	Glycine *
Histidine	Isoleucine	Lysine
Leucine	Methionine	Asparagine
Pyrrolysine	Proline *	Glutamine *
Arginine *	Serine *	Threonine
Selenocysteine	Valine	Tryptophan
Tyrosine *

Histidine

Histidine is unique because it is both an essential and nonessential amino acid. The body needs histidine to develop and maintain healthy tissues, especially myelin sheath that coats nervous cells to ensure the transmission of messages from your brain to organs throughout your body.

Too much histidine is associated with physiological disorders like anxiety and schizophrenia. Not enough can to lead to rheumatoid arthritis and deafness from nerve damage.

Adults can typically produce enough histidine from other amino acids in the liver to support the body’s daily needs. But children must get histidine from food. This is especially true during infancy when adequate histidine levels are essential for proper growth and development.

Foods that are high in protein generally contain high histidine levels as well. These foods include:, meat, poultry, and fish, dairy, rice, wheat, and rye, seafood, beans, eggs, buckwheat, corn, cauliflower, mushrooms, potatoes, bamboo shoots, bananas, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits

Valine

Valine, apart from being an essential amino acid, is one of the three branched-chain amino acids. The other two are leucine and isoleucine.

Also together with leucine and isoleucine, valine belongs to the group of proteinogenic amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins produced by cells that are recorded in the genetic code of each living thing.

Valine is an important source of nitrogen, an important component in alanine and glutamine synthesis in the muscles.

Foods rich in valine include:, cottage cheese, fish and poultry, sesame seeds

lentils, tofu, egg whites, peanuts, beef and lamb, gelatin

Isoleucine

Isoleucine is another branched-chain amino acid. It cannot be produced in the body and must be obtained from the food we eat.

Isoleucine is essential for proper blood-clotting and muscle repair. While isoleucine deficiency is uncommon, symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, headaches, confusion, irritability, and depression.

Isoleucine has several key roles in healthy body functions.

· It regulates blood sugar and boosts the body's energy levels.

· It plays a key role in the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the various parts of the body and the production of hemoglobin, which contains iron.

· It is important for the efficient metabolism of glucose, as manifested by the increase in the absorption of sugar.

When given orally, isoleucine reduces the level of sugar in the blood by 20 percent and increases sugar absorption in the muscles by 71 percent without necessarily increasing the level of insulin in the blood.

Good sources of isoleucine are: eggs, chicken, fish, cheese, soybeans, seaweed,

turkey

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