Amino Acids, a quick study

I've been getting lots of emails wondering just what good amino acids are and why I use them in my cooking so often. I'll certainly be emailing all those people personally, but I also wanted to address it here on my blog.

Proteins all contain amino acids. Most contain about 9 of the essential amino acids, but there are a full 20 that are essential to the body. Without those 20 aminos, the body starts breaking down lean tissue and muscle. In fact, if you read Nutrition Information's site about aminos, it gets down right scary:

What happens if an essential amino acid is missing from the body? Well, in the beginning the body will break down lean tissue in order to compensate. Eventually, however, the muscles will begin to waste away. While protein deficiencies are rare in the United States, they are more common in countries with poor diets. In addition to muscle wasting, other signs of protein deficiency include mental impairment in children, edema, anemia, decreased immunity, and metabolic abnormalities.

Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids are made from non-GMO soybeans. This is important to me because I figure that our Creator made things just the way we're supposed to be ingesting them. I'm not fond of eating things that have been tampered with because we humans "think" we can out do what's already done in nature. I think that's a terrible folly.

::getting off my soapbox now::

Bragg's FAQ about their amino acids also share with us some further information about aminos and their purpose in our bodies:

Amino Acids are the building blocks of all our organs and tissues. They are also the building blocks from which different food proteins are constructed. When we eat a protein food, such as meat or soybeans, the natural hydrochloric acid in the stomach digests the protein, releasing the Amino Acids. They are the link between the food we eat and assimilation for our body tissue. Lack of adequate Amino Acids may make it impossible for the vitamins and minerals to perform their specific duties.

I took amino acids to alleviate the need for acid reflux medicines before starting this Protocol. If heartburn showed up, I'd pop two amino acid powder pills (it has these two amino acids in it: Arginine and Carnitine) and it would be gone inside of 15 minutes. I also used them to help balance digestive issues when I was detoxing. My Mom uses L-Lysine amino acids to ensure there aren't outbreaks of cold sores.

Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids contains these 16 amino acids in it:

1. Alanine
2. Arginine
3. Aspartic Acid
4. Glutamic Acid
5. Glycine
6. Histidine
7. Isoleucine
8. Leucine
9. Methionine
10. Phenylalanine
11. Proline
12. Serine
13. Threonine
14. Tyrosine
15. Valine
16. Lysine

With the great importance of getting Amino Acids in our bodies, I find that I use it in my cooking quite often. It shouldn't completely take the place of a good quality celtic sea salt, as that's got it's own benefits that I should explore later, but Bragg's should definitely be a part of our every day diet.

I think. :)

You can get a free sample of Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids by visiting their sampling site, too!