Glutamine is an amino acid your body naturally makes. It’s also found in protein foods like meat, fish, and dairy. It’s considered “conditionally essential” under certain circumstances, such as chronic stress, high physical activity, and compromised gut lining from a leaky gut or SIBO. So what are the benefits of l-glutamine? It enables enterocytes to regenerate more quickly, which can help seal the junctions in your gut and keep your gut lining in an optimal state.
It Helps to Fight Infections
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, and it naturally boosts your immune system to fight infections. It is a critical fuel source for your immune cells, which helps to promote phagocytosis, which is the process where specialized immune system cells engulf and destroys infectious agents.
The nutrient is also important for boosting your resistance to viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. It improves your gut health by replenishing the cells that line the intestinal wall to prevent toxins from seeping into the bloodstream. It can also help alleviate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and leaky gut syndrome by improving digestive function.
Research shows that glutamine can increase your ability to fight viral and bacterial infections by boosting the production of white blood cells, which are your body’s first defense against disease. It can also improve wound healing by increasing the speed at which your cells can repair themselves.
The nutrient is found naturally in many meat-based proteins and dairy products. You can also find it in beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables like spinach and cabbage. You can also take it in supplement form.
It Helps to Fight Inflammation
L-Glutamine is an amino acid that helps to fight inflammation and protects the gut lining. The body naturally makes glutamine, also found in protein-rich foods and supplements. The simplest way to get enough glutamine is to focus on eating more protein, especially from animal sources.
The amino acid is used by immune cells to fuel their phagocytosis, which engulfs and destroys infectious agents. It is also needed for the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. In addition, the amino acid can help to repair the lining of the small intestine, which is important for optimal gastrointestinal health and digestion.
Glutamine is also a precursor for the neurotransmitter glutamate, which plays an important role in brain function. Studies show that it can improve memory and cognitive functions in recovering from injury or illness. It may also help stall brain aging caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, a condition often seen in people with chronic fatigue syndrome and other mental disorders.
Glutamine has been shown to reduce symptoms of leaky gut. This condition occurs when the lining of the digestive tract becomes permeable, allowing harmful bacteria to escape and enter the bloodstream. It can also help improve IBS and diarrhea by balancing mucus production, essential for bowel health.
It Helps to Fight Diabetes
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body and helps to make protein. It also provides fuel to cells in your immune system.
During extreme stress, your body may need more glutamine than it can make. This is especially true after intense exercise or injury. A glutamine supplement can help you recover faster, build muscle, and fight sugar and carb cravings.
Studies show that glutamine can boost immune function and reduce gut permeability, which is linked to inflammatory conditions like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, arthritis, and skin issues like psoriasis. It can also improve digestive health by supporting the mucous membrane in the esophagus and intestines, which helps block bacterial infiltration during digestion.
It can help you lose weight by suppressing insulin levels and stabilizing blood glucose levels, which makes it easier to resist sugary foods. Additionally, it can help you fight diabetes by lowering your insulin resistance.
You can get L-Glutamine naturally by eating protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, dairy, bone broth, spirulina, cottage cheese, beans, raw spinach, and parsley. You can also find it in supplements such as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). However, when using any supplement, it is important to consult with your doctor. Bezzy IBD provides meaningful peer connections, empathetic ears, and real-world ideas for living well with inflammatory bowel disease.
It Helps to Fight Obesity
Glutamine supports healthy weight loss by regulating blood sugar levels, helping cells absorb insulin more efficiently, and blocking fat storage. It also boosts the production of serotonin, the body’s feel-good neurotransmitter that regulates appetite signals.
Intense exercise, stress, injury, or illness can deplete glutamine and lead to a temporarily weakened immune system. Supplementing with glutamine can help to protect against this and aid in the recovery process. It’s also been shown to improve immune cell functions such as phagocytosis, secretory activity, and neutrophil bactericidal action.
Glutamine is found in animal proteins like beef, fish, eggs, milk, and cottage cheese, and plant-based foods such as beans (particularly red cabbage), raw spinach, and parsley. In addition to being a powerful immune booster, it helps heal and protect the intestinal lining. This is especially important as the trillions of bacteria in your intestines play an important role in regulating your immune system. If your intestines become damaged, a condition known as leaky gut, these bacteria can enter the rest of your body, causing serious disease. L-Glutamine can help to repair and strengthen the mucous membrane in your intestines, which prevents these harmful bacteria from entering the rest of your body. This is why glutamine is so important for athletes, as it can reduce the risk of infection and inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
