The beneficial aspects of glutamine.
N.b for any dietary medical need please consult your GP, doctor or physician.
A very overlooked supplement because it is naturally found in foods and is non-conditionally essential BUT don’t let that put you off.
Glutamine may help with issues such as digestion, bloating, gut repair such as assisting recovery from the byproducts of H.Pylori, rebuilding villi aka ‘leaky gut’ issues, detoxification, repairs muscles, reduces DOMS and helps glycogen (what muscles use to produce force energy) enter cells with an ability to assist insulin sensitivity.
Glutamine has been touted as ‘nature’s pepto-bismol 🤣
In the gut glutamine can help with malabsorption issues as it can assist with healing the intestinal lining. It elevates gut mucosal activity feeding the cells for robustness and assists in digestive stress.
A strong gut breaks down and absorbs food more efficiently and reduces stress! It assists bacterial balance as this robustness helps stop issues of bacteria entering the intestines or bowel wall.
Glutamine draws water and salts to muscle cells helping with cell signalling and repair. Protein synthesis (the rate that muscles are repaired and rebuilt) happens faster when muscles are swollen and hydrated! More muscle means that at the same bodyweight you have less bodyfat! Win!
Glutamine may be anabolic as above but also assists immunity. Glutamine is used by cells in the immune system (which all live in your gut!) and especially the liver, kidneys, skin and digestive tract to promote healing. It’s been used in sepsis, injury, burn and athletic recovery to help with cell proliferation and regeneration.
Glutamine helps promote glutathione which is a ‘master’ antioxidant. Glutathione is a source of dietary sulphur. Glutathione works in the liver to support methylation, conjugation of amino acids, glucoronidation, - woah white lab coat on - bio-transformation controlling toxic load, elimination (💩), fuel efficiency (turning food into energy), dysregulation of enzymes (telling cells what to do) and putting estrogen BACK into circulation if it is blocked as it assists steroid (sex hormone) metabolism.
Dietary sources to boost this!
Fish, poultry, eggs, whey protein, ricotta, cottage cheese, meats, beans, spinach, parsley, cabbages, asparagus, avocado, walnuts, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries.
Sometimes we just can’t rely on food alone and supplementing around 5-10g a day - especially on days you exercise - may be beneficial.
The only time glutamine should NOT be considered is with cancer treatment which should NOT be advised by an Instagram post but instead having meaningful discussion with an oncology specialist.