Benefits of L-Arginine

Benefits of L-Arginine

What is L-Arginine?

L-Arginine is a key amino acid involved in protein formation in the body. The name is derived from the Latin word argentum, meaning silver. It can be traced back to the original isolation from silver salt.
Our bodies can produce it on their own to a small extent, but getting sufficient L-arginine from our diets can prove greatly beneficial for some of our most pressing health concerns today.

Why? 

Because L-Arginine has the highest nitrogen content of all proteinogenic amino acids. Nitrogen is essential for us to thrive, and supplementation to support nitrogen in our bodies can have a therapeutic effect.

How does L-Arginine function?

L-Arginine is a building block for nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps to protect and maintain our blood vessels.
Supplementation with L-Arginine can to improve blood flow and help nutrients to circulate more easily around the body.

Arginine and Diabetes

Arginine has the potential to help ameliorate certain symptoms and secondary diseases people with metabolic disorders, such as type II diabetes.
In a randomized double-blind study in 2012 at the University of Milan, a study sought to find out what the effects of the long-term substitution with L-arginine could have on the function of ß-cells and insulin sensitivity in 144 diabetic patients. The result: the patients had significantly improved insulin intensity and glucose tolerance, while the placebo group showed no changes.
A well-known complication in patients with diabetes is diabetic foot syndrome; this is a common, but very serious, secondary disease. As wound healing is impaired in diabetic patients, L-arginine can be particularly beneficial through its effects on the cardiovascular system.

Arginine and Wound Healing
Similarly, L-Arginine accelerates wound healing after operations and injuries by promoting optimal vascular functioning. It also supports immune response on a cellular level to help the body overcome injury-related functional disorders.

Arginine and High Blood Pressure
L-Arginine can have therapeutic effects on hypertension (high blood pressure) by dilating blood vessels and increasing their elasticity, especially as we age. This can great for remedying this common, but dangerous, health concern. 

Arginine and Coronary Heart Disease:

Because of L-Arginine's positive effect on blood vesssels and circulation, it can help to lower the risk of coronary heart diseases such as heart failure, heart attacks, angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias and strokes -- these are some of the biggest causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.
Arginine and Cholesterol Studies show that L-Arginine can lower blood lipids and thus has a significantly positive effect on cholesterol levels, a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease, once again helping to prevent morbidity and mortality from some of the most pressing health concerns we face in our modern world.

In which foods is L-Arginine most common?

Food                                                 mcg per 100g

Pine nuts                                          4500

Pumpkin seeds                                4500

Peanuts                                            3560

Almonds                                           2750

Soybeans                                         2360

Wheat germ                                     2250

Lenses                                               2240

Hazelnuts                                         2030

Peas                                                     1060

Stockfish                                           4500

Shrimp                                               1740

Lobster                                              1500

Salmon                                             1330

Sardine                                             1310

Tuna                                                  1250

Plaice                                                1240

Sole                                                   1150

Hake                                                  1140

Horse meat                                      1070  

Venison                                             2600

Deer                                                  2000

Beef                                                   1800

Calf                                                    1540

Pork meat                                         1540

Rabbits                                             1530

Lamb                                                 1500

Liver                                                  1400

Chicken                                             1360

Huhn                                                  1350

Wild Boar                                          1300