L-glutamine is an amino acid that is broken down from proteins. It is actually the most abundant amino acid in body and makes up 60% of our muscles. You may have heard some athletes take it to help build muscle and recover from their workouts. Taking extra L-glutamine can help increase muscle mass, allow you to burn more fat, and aid in healing sore muscles after exercise. But because the organs in your body are lined with muscles, there is more to L-glutamine than that.
Your intestinal lining actually uses L-glutamine as fuel to create a strong surface for digestion and absorption. Supplementing with L-glutamine is the most effective treatment to heal the gut lining for those suffering from leaky gut, malabsorption, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBS, Crohn’s, Ulcerative colitis). It tightens the open junctions that occur in a patient with these diagnoses and triggers them to create more mucus needed for proper digestion.
L-glutamine is also important for the immune system. The intestinal lining houses key immune molecules called immunoglobulin. Feeding it with l-glutamine allows for a stronger immune system to protect us from toxins and infections.
You can naturally get L-glutamine from the following sources:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Fish
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Beans
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale)
- Miso
- Brussel sprouts
Adding a supplement may be more beneficial because it is already broken down from the protein to its active amino acid form. I generally recommend starting with 2 grams a day and increasing to 5 grams twice a day. CentreSpringMD has multiple plant based shakes and supplements available in stock with this therapeutic dose including:
- UltraMeal Advanced Protein
- Ultra Glucose Control
- GI Sustain
- GI Replenish
- UltraInflamx 360
- Glutagenics
- Glutashield
Check out our online store or drop in to see how L-glutamine may benefit you!
