Which Amino Acids Are Essential?
Amino acids are known as the building blocks of proteins and are used in all parts of the human body. There are two types of amino acids: non essential and essential. Essential amino acids cannot be made by your body and must be obtained through your diet. Essential amino acids are used in the body for various processes including: building muscle and regulating immune function. Of the 20 amino acids the body needs, 9 are essential amino acids.
These 9 amino acids include:
- Histidine
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
The best food sources to obtain these essential amino acids are found in meat, eggs, poultry, cottage cheese and pumpkin seeds. The benefits of amino acids are extensive as they are fundamental components of our hormones and neurotransmitters, which are the main contributors to our mental and physical health. Amino acids are also known for improving our mood and sleep, boosting exercise performance and preventing muscle loss.
Without a regular supply of amino acids, the body must break down its own muscle tissue in order to sustain vital bodily functions. Due to poor nutrient quality in our foods, physical and mental stress, and ongoing health conditions we are more likely to require supplementary amino acids to meet our dietary needs.
When looking for an amino acid supplement consider a product that has both Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's) and Essential Amino Acids (EAA's). This way you are able to provide your body with an ideal balance of the two.
One of our favourite amino acid formulas is Truehope Freeminos. It is an amino acid supplement that contains a mix of 7 vitamins and 23 amino acids, including all of the essential and branch chain amino acids. Freeminos is designed to absorb rapidly while providing the body and brain with a healthy balance to promote mental and physical well-being.
Some manufactures of amino acid products create the amino acid blend, based on the content founds in cows milk or chicken eggs. However, True Hope has explored the amino acid content that is found in human mother's milk. This has allowed them to tailor the amino acid ratio to adequately address human nutritional requirements.