Amino Acids

In addition to being the building blocks of structure, amino acids "turn on and off the chemical switches" that control our metabolism and body function.

Protein is composed of Amino Acids.

Often amino acids are spoken of in relation to human utilization, Essential & Non-Essential

Essential Amino Acids & Non Essential Amino Acids .. refers 100% to human utilization.

The effective human utilization of amino acids for protein is determined by the limiting essential amino acid.
This is particularly significant with plant derived protein. (see example chart below)
- In vegetable / plant derived protein the limiting amino is often L-Lysine.
- Beef, egg, fish, milk all have different ( unique ) amino acid ratios and thus have different %s of usable protein.
- Animal protein is generally a complete protein, but even the protein in animal products does not have a perfect amino acid ratio. Animal protein can be as low as 60% usable protein up to about 85% usable protein.

Essential Amino Acids: L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Lysine, L-Methionine, L-Phenylalanine, L-Threonine, L-Tryptophan and L-Valine.

Several amino acids are considered conditionally essential. Meaning that under certain circumstances the body is unable to synthesize these aminos from other aminos: L-Arginine, L-Cysteine, L-Glutamine, L-Glycine and L-Tyrosine.

Non-essential Amino Acids: L-Alanine, L-Arginine, L-Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, L-Cysteine & L-Cystine, Glutamic Acid, L-Glutamine, L-Glycine, L-Ornathine, L-Proline, L-Serine, L-Taurine and L-Tyrosine.

Amino Acids perform many unique & vital functions in addition to their protein function.

Amino acids are organic compounds with at least one amino group and one carboxl group.
- The amino groups include at least one NH3 molecule.
- The carboxy contains at least one COOH molecule.
- These amino acid molecules are combined in long chains to form proteins.
- Amino acids are the basic building blocks of organic structure.

Amino Acid Books from Amazon.com

NASA reports that Amino acids, the basis of life, were detected in fragments of the Martian meteorite Nakhla which fell in Egypt!

Brigham Young University reports that The Murchison Meteor, one of the most primitive meteorites known, contains 79 amino acids.

Check out our amazon.com stores .. a "specialty store" for each of the nutrients below ... our recommended supplements in each nutrient category.:

Arginine

Glutamine

GABA

Ornithine

Lysine

DHEA &

Testosterone

Melatonin

Protein

BCAA

Secretagogue

Supplements supplement a complete diet .. not replace a complete diet.

For humans, there are 8 essential amino acids + 14 non-essential amino acids that can be fabricated by the human body from the eight essential amino acids.

From these 22 amino acids, being combined & arranged into varying specific chains, all amino acids are fabricated by the human body.

Simplistically the distinction between essential and non-essential amino acids is that the human body can produce some amino acids from other amino acids.

There are also conditionally essential amino acids that under certain conditions (hard exercise) that cannot be fabricated in sufficient quantities from other aminos.

This is a fairly complicated area of organic chemistry, but some amino acids, like l-glutamine, are said to be 'conditionally essential'.

The fact that all 8 essential amino acids must be present in the gut at the same time for a complete protein to be formed is integral to the timing of Amino Acid Secretagogue supplementation.
Commercial Secretagogue products contain specific free form amino acids that require no digestion & that are absorbed directly into your system.
The amino acids in Secretagogue products are identical to the amino acids in food.

With free form amino acids scientists have the ability to provide the amino acid nutrients in carefully regulated amounts and in specific synergistic combinations .. ratios & combinations that are known to stimulate hormonal production.

The physiological difference is that they do not form a complete protein (all the essential aminos are not present), the aminos are absorbed directly into your circulatory system from the gut & then stimulate specific endocrine glands to hormone production.
The specific synergistic amino acid combinations in secretagogue products stimulate the endocrine system & are not used for protein.
Amino Acid Secretagogue products provide specific free form amino acids combinations & are designed to NOT be a complete protein.

Beans & rice each have different amino acid ratios / combinations.

By combining the 'amino acid combinations of beans' ( or tofu ) & the 'amino acid combination of corn ( or rice )' we achieve a complete protein amino acid combination.

However the combinations are not perfect and only a portion of the aminos in these two vegetable source proteins

Very ( VERY ) Simplistic Complete Protein Example ( instead of 8 essential aminos we have only 4. A, B, C & D )

Essential Amino Acids = A, B, C, D. Non essential = q, u, x, y, & z.
Complete Protein = amino acids A + B + C + D = amino acid combination usable by the body for protein.
Corn = ( C + D ) = incomplete protein ( corn would also have non essential amino acids x, y & z )
Beans = ( A + B ) = incomplete protein ( beans would also have non essential amino acids x, u & q )
Beans + corn = (A + B) + (C + D) = A+ B + C + D. = Complete protein, amino acid combination.
The other amino acids, 2x, y, z, u & q would be utilized by the body for other metabolic functions & have the same number of calories as carbohydrates.
A + B + C = incomplete, cannot be used for protein.. or B + C + D = incomplete protein, not usable for protein. But extremely useful to our body.

If all the essential amino acids are not present it is not complete ( or usable as ) protein.