Amino Acid Supplements - Side Effects

Amino acid is the building block of protein and protein is one of the most important requirements of our body. There are two types of amino acids, essential and nonessential. The nonessential amino acids are produced inside our body hence, we do not require them as supplements. But the essential amino acids are the ones which we need to get from various sources. Amino acid sources include meat, egg, cheese, milk, etc. Nowadays, you can get essential amino acid in the form of supplements. Usually these amino acid supplements are harmless, on the contrary they are helpful in the betterment of the health. But some of the amino acid supplements side effects can take you to serious consequences.

Uses of Amino Acid Supplements

Amino acid is a very beneficial element of our body. It is used for many purposes like building muscles, improving digestive system, immune system, neurotransmitters and energy production. Branched chain amino acids are available in the form of amino acid supplements. The most common amino acids used as supplements are lysine, n-acetyl cysteine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, acetyl l-carnitine, histidine, carnitine, carnosine, arginine, cysteine, DLPA, GABA, glutamine, glutathione, glycine, ornithine, taurine, and tyrosine. Following are their uses.

• It is very helpful for the athletes. It helps in building up power and help to recover muscle fatigue in a very less time.
• Amino acid supplement burn the fat and help in reducing the weight.
• They are very helpful in the ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) found in children. They improve the working of neurotransmitters which helps them with their memory and behavior.

Side Effects of Amino Acid Supplements

There are very few side effects of amino acid supplements and they are because of the overdose. The most important thing is to take the supplements only when they are recommended by the doctor and the dose should not exceed the recommended level. Following are some of the side effects of amino acid supplements.

• Amino acid supplements arginine and creatine are used to improve the immune system and protein synthesis. Overdose of these supplement can take you to some of the harmful side effects of creatine and arginine like nausea, abdominal cramps and discomfort.
• Overdose of the amino acid supplements glutamine can cause skin irritation. It can cause tingling of the skin, skin rash, redness and itching.
• Overdose of glutamine and cysteine supplements can cause vomiting. In severe conditions, it may also cause blood in vomiting.
• Amino acid supplements arginine and glutamine may cause diarrhea.
• Some of the amino acid supplements can put pressure on the kidney which may lead to kidney problems.
• Abnormal heart beats can also be observed as a result of amino acid side effect.
• Unbalanced amino acid supplements may create other health related problems.
• Anxiety, irritability, fatigue and depression are also among the common amino acid side effects.
• In few cases, it can also cause blood abnormalities which in severe cases, even lead to death. Sudden decrease in the blood pressure can also be observed.

I will suggest you to stick to a healthy amino acid rich diet instead of relying on the amino acid supplements. But if you are recommended for these supplements by a doctor then you should be very cautious while taking the dose as excess dose may be harmful. Remember the instructions of the doctor and follow them strictly. If you are taking amino acid supplement then you should increase the intake of vitamin B6 and vitamin C as they help in the metabolism of the amino acids and increase the absorption. I hope this article helped you to understand the side effects of amino acid supplement. So, be careful if you are using it and follow the regular dose.