L-Arginine
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Form: Extract
Food source: Nuts and seeds, legumes and wholegrains.
Benefits of L-Arginine
- Provides an amino acid researched for use in multiple areas of health.
- Amino acids are required by the body to make protein.
What is L-Arginine?
Arginine is a type of amino acid that plays an important role in regulating blood flow. Amino acids can be classified into non-essential, essential and semi-essential. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Protein that is digested from the foods we consume gets broken down into amino acids and absorbed into the body.
Arginine is classed as a semi-essential amino acid, as it isn't essential for the body under normal circumstances, but it can become essential in particular situations. For example it is typically ‘essential’ during children’s growth.
Arginine can be obtained from foods high in protein, including soybeans, peanuts, spirulina, chickpeas or lentils. The body can synthesise sufficient amounts of arginine to meet basic metabolic demands, but in times of stress, trauma, rapid growth, an infection, wound healing or neonatal development, the demand of arginine is then increased, and the availability of arginine can become limited.
Arginine is a precursor to nitric oxide, an essential chemical that helps to widen and relax the arteries and blood vessels, and therefore supports blood flow, and it is researched for its role in helping the kidneys in eliminating waste.
Some studies show that arginine can also play a role in healing and supporting the immune system.
Clinical studies show Arginine and L-Arginine play a role in men’s health. A prospective study looked at evaluating the supplementation of antioxidants like Zinc, Vitamins C and E amongst others, combined with Arginine and L-Carnitine, in 420 men over a period of 6 months. Results showed improvements in sperm quality parameters, some reproductive hormones, and pregnancy rates where men suffered from infertility and 'idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia' (OAT).
Supplementation with L-Arginine has been studied for mild to moderate erectile dysfunction and shown that it may play a role in male sexual function.
