Benefits of Arginine

Arginine is an amino acid (L-arginine) that is made by the body and obtained from diet; necessary for the body to make proteins. It is found in many foods that have protein – therefore, deficiencies are rare. Arginine-rich foods include red meat, fish, poultry, wheat germ, grains, nuts and seeds, and dairy products. As a natural dietary supplement, arginine has received a lot of attention lately for its potential heart benefits. This is important because about 64 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease.

How does arginine work? L-arginine is converted in the body into a chemical called nitric oxide - a powerful neurotransmitter that helps blood vessels relax and improve circulation. Nitric oxide (a vasodilator) causes blood vessels to open wider for improved blood flow. L-arginine also stimulates the release of growth hormone – insulin

Why we need arginine

·       Wound healing

·       Helping the kidneys remove waste products from the body

·       Maintaining immune and hormone function

Arginine has heart benefits. Some scientific evidence shows that arginine may improve blood flow in the arteries of the heart. However, there is currently no data on how the long-term use of arginine affects cholesterol or heart health 

Benefits of arginine:

·       Improving recovery after surgery. Taking L-arginine with ribonucleic acid (RNA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) before surgery or afterwards seems to help reduce the recovery time, reduce the number of infections, and improve wound healing after surgery.

·       Congestive heart failure. Taking L-arginine along with usual treatment seems to help eliminate extra fluids that are a problem in congestive heart failure. But taking L-arginine doesn’t always improve exercise tolerance or quality of life. L-arginine should not be used instead of the usual treatments ordered by a healthcare provider.

·       Chest pain associated with coronary artery disease (angina pectoris). Taking L-arginine seems to decrease symptoms and improve exercise tolerance and quality of life in people with angina. But L-arginine doesn’t seem to improve the disease itself.

·       Bladder inflammation. Taking L-arginine seems to improve symptoms, but it may take up to three months of treatment to see improvement.

·       Wasting and weight loss in people with HIV/AIDS, when used with hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB) and glutamine. This combination seems to increase body weight, particularly lean body mass, and improve the immune system.

·       Preventing loss of effect of nitroglycerin in people with angina pectoris.

·       Problems with erections of the penis (erectile dysfunction).

·       Improving kidney function in kidney transplant patients taking cyclosporine.

·       Preventing inflammation of the digestive tract in premature infants.