L-Arganine And L-Ornithine Benefits

Arginine or L-Arganine (abbreviated as Arg or R) is an amino acid that was first isolated in 1886. The L-form is one of the 20 most common natural amino acids.

Arginine is a conditionally nonessential amino acid, meaning most of the time it can be manufactured by the human body, and does not need to be obtained directly through the diet. The biosynthetic pathway however does not produce sufficient arginine, and some must still be consumed through diet. Individuals who have poor nutrition or certain physical conditions may be advised to increase their intake of foods containing arginine.

Arginine is found in a wide variety of foods, including:

• Animal sources: dairy products (e.g., cottage cheese, ricotta, milk, yogurt, whey protein drinks), beef, pork (e.g., bacon, ham), gelatin, poultry (e.g. chicken and turkey light meat), wild game (e.g. pheasant, quail), seafood (e.g., halibut, lobster, salmon, shrimp, snails, tuna)
• Plant sources: wheat germ and flour, buckwheat, granola, oatmeal, peanuts, nuts (coconut, pecans, cashews, walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pinenuts), seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), chick peas, cooked soybeans, Phalaris canariensis (canaryseed or ALPISTE)

Arginine is synthesized from citrulline. Citrulline can be derived from multiple sources:

• from arginine via nitric oxide synthase (NOS)
• from ornithine via catabolism of proline or glutamine/glutamate
• from asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) via DDAH

Arginine plays an important role in cell division, the healing of wounds, removing ammonia from the body, immune function, and the release of hormones.

The benefits and functions attributed to oral supplementation of L-arginine include:

• Precursor for the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO)
• Reduces healing time of injuries (particularly bone)
• Quickens repair time of damaged tissue
• Helps decrease blood pressure in clinical hypertensive subjects

Arginine (8%) in dental products (e.g., toothpaste) provides effective relief from sensitive teeth (dentin hypersensitivity) by depositing a dentin-like mineral, containing calcium and phosphate, within the dentin tubules and in a protective layer on the dentin surface.

Research suggests that oral preparations of L-arginine are ineffective at increasing growth hormone levels.

Sepsis: Cellular arginine biosynthetic capacity determined by activity of argininosuccinate synthetase (AS) is induced by the same mediators of septic response — endotoxin and cytokines — that induce nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the enzyme responsible for nitric oxide synthesis.

Intravenous infusion of arginine reduces blood pressure in patients with hypertension as well as normal subjects.

Arganine has also been used as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Dietary supplementation of L-arginine taken in combination with L-lysine has been shown potentially useful in treating people subjected to high levels of mental stress and anxiety, in a double-blind, placebo controlled and randomized study, involving 108 Japanese adults. Trait anxiety and state anxiety induced by cognitive stress battery was significantly reduced, and basal levels of the stress hormone cortisol were decreased. The study was funded by Ajinomoto, Co. Inc., an industrial manufacturer of lysine and arginine.

Ornithine is an amino acid that plays a role in the urea cycle. L-Ornithine is one of the products of the action of the enzyme arginase on L-arginine, creating urea. In simple terms, L-Ornithine is important in that it helps the body absorb L-arginine. When purchasing L-arginine supplements, consider getting one with L-Ornithine.