Amino acids are organic compounds chemically characterized by at least one carboxylic group (acid) and by an amino group (basic). Hundreds of them have been identified in nature, all different from each other, but only about twenty form proteins, fundamental molecules for the life of all cells in the animal and plant world. Amino acids are divided into two main categories: ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAA) and NON ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID (NEAA). The former cannot be synthesized, if not minimally by our body, so we are forced to constantly introduce them with the diet. The latter we can instead introduce them with the diet but also synthesize them starting from the essentials. There are nine essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, threonine, histidine, tryptophan, phenylalanine and methionine.
The essential amino acids play a very important role because without them the metabolism could not be supported, that is the synthesis of energy and the structural replacement of the aged or worn structures of our body. All proteins are formed by precise sequences of amino acids and only thanks to a complete availability of essential amino acids can the proteins needed be synthesized.
Essential amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins, and a deficiency in just one of them can create serious health problems. Think for example of collagen, the most abundant protein in our body: a diet lacking in lysine can create major problems for the skin, bones and muscles. If, on the other hand, we did not introduce adequate amounts of tryptophan, we could have major problems with serotonin, a neurotransmitter essential for mental health. Finally, we consider that the three branched amino acids Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine together with Histidine and Lysine, represent almost 50% of the total amino acid requirement.
As we have seen, amino acids are essential for protein synthesis but not only. The activity of mitochondria, small organelles present in the cytoplasm, on which the synthesis of ATP, that is cellular energy, depends on a good availability of amino acids. Essential amino acid supplements can be useful in improving the efficiency of mitochondria in weak and elderly subjects, in chronic diseases and also in sportsmen for their dual energy and synthetic action, in the muscle and beyond.
If the diet is insufficient or the intake of some foods decreases, the essential amino acid supplements meet the necessary needs.
There are several on the market, with different combinations, but when you are looking for a complete and balanced supplement, the right reference can only be found in the MYTHOXAN line. The MYTHOXAN line of amino acids has been designed to maximize the energy and synthetic efficiency of amino acids in total safety, reducing nitrogenous waste to zero, without any overload for the liver and kidneys.
