Glutamine, one of the most important amino acid, is essential for human health. This article will discuss the best foods rich in glutamine and explain how to make sure you are getting enough.
The 17 Top Foods With Glutamine That You Should Include in Your Daily Diet
Below is a list with 17 foods that contain glutamine. It starts with the highest glutamine foods to the lowest.
1. Chicken
2. Beef
3. Lamb
4. Turkey
5. Pork
6. Seafood
7. Shellfish
8. Eggs
9. Yogurt
10. Milk
11. Cheese
12. Tofu
13. Kidney beans
14. Nuts
15. Red raw cabbage
16. Dark leafy greens
17. Whole grains
Are eggs high in Glutamine
Consuming 5 grams of glutamine per day is recommended. A single egg has approximately 0.7 grams glutamine. You would need at least seven eggs to get your glutamine from eggs.
Glutamin is found in many foods, so you don’t have to eat eggs all the time. You’ll have nearly 30% of your daily glutamine requirements if you eat two eggs for your morning breakfast.
Do Bananas Have Glutamine?
Bananas contain far less glutamine than animal sources. A large banana only contains 231 mgs of glutamine. This is equivalent to 0.004 grams (1).
You would need 1,250 bananas to meet your body’s glutamine needs. This is obviously unrealistic and shows how inadequate plant foods are to satisfy your body’s glutamine requirements.
Are Glutamine Amino acid Supplements Effective?
Supplements can help ensure that your body gets enough glutamine, according to research. Supplements that contain glutamine may be especially effective for those with higher protein requirements.
A plant-based diet will increase your glutamine and protein needs, so supplementation can be beneficial.
Supplements with glutamine may be especially beneficial for athletes who have higher protein and glutamine requirements to fuel their bodies for performance and recovery.
How much Glutamine do I need per day?
Most people can satisfy their glutamine needs by changing their diet. Some people, particularly those who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, may have trouble meeting their glutamine requirements. The glutamine requirement of athletes is higher than that of the average person.
The average person needs 5g of glutamine per day. L-glutamine supplements can be taken anywhere from 3-6g daily for those who wish to consume it.
Some research has shown that supplementing with L-glutamine every day may prove to be beneficial (2).
Before we can dive into the many benefits of glutamine we need to first understand exactly what glutamine is.
Glutamine is the most abundant of all the amino acids in the body. It’s often referred to as “L-Glutamine” (almost interchangeably in the sports world). It is considered an essential amino acid and can be made by the body on its own. Supplementation is a good idea, as glutamine can be depleted by stress, illness, or strenuous physical activity.
As many foods contain glutamine, most people will naturally consume it. Supplements can be beneficial for certain people due to the wide range of dietary glutamine intake.
There are two types, L-glutamine or D-glutamine. But L-glutamine is the most important and abundant type of glutamine. This type of glutamine can be found in food and supplements.
You might be wondering what glutamine does after you have understood what glutamine is.
The body uses glutamine as a building block of protein. The body requires protein to repair cells, make hormones and build muscle tissue, muscle mass, recover from injury, repair joints and repair skin. Glutamine is also required.
Glutamine is also important in the support of the immune system. It is essential for healing after severe illnesses, burns, and surgery.
Continue reading to learn more about glutamine’s role for gut health, immune health, and athletic performance.
Is Glutamine a Help for IBS?
Glutamine, one of the most important amino acids for gastrointestinal health is, is considered to be the most important. Glutamine is essential for the proper functioning and health of intestinal cells. It also serves as fuel for them to function properly.
The cells of the intestines become weaker if there is not enough glutamine. Inflammation, compromised immune health, and impaired digestive system function are all possible as a result.
IBS sufferers often experience problems with the integrity of their intestinal linings, which can lead to constipation, diarrhea and bloating.
Supplemental glutamine may be beneficial in improving the function and structure of the intestinal wall, and the digestive tract. This could help to ease symptoms that are associated with IBS (3).
L-Glutamine plays a role in athletic performance
Building muscle is also a key role played by glutamine. Although glutamine isn’t “essential”, which means that the body can make it naturally, glutamine can sometimes be “conditionally essential” to build muscle mass.
In other words, external glutamine can be helpful in meeting the body’s needs when it doesn’t have enough amino acids.
Because the body requires glutamine to repair and build muscles, athletes have a greater need for it. Some research has shown that glutamine supplementation may improve muscle growth. More research is necessary.
Research suggests that glutamine supplementation may improve exercise performance by increasing recovery and soreness.
L-glutamine can also be beneficial for athletic performance, as it improves endurance and delays fatigue (5).
Can Glutamine Boost Immune Health?
Important amino acids for supporting and boosting immune health include glutamine. The intestinal cells use glutamine for fuel. However, the immune cells also use glutamine for fuel.
Insufficient glutamine can cause immune cells to function less optimally, leading to impaired immunity.
The immune system can be suppressed when it is under stress such as after surgery or illness. This could lead to a decrease in glutamine production that may hinder the body’s ability to heal itself.
Supplementing with glutamine can speed up the healing process after trauma or illness, or when the body’s immune system is working hard to maintain health (6).
Who should eat Glutamine Rich Foods
Consuming foods high in glutamine can be beneficial for everyone. Glutaamine can be found in many protein-rich foods, including meats, poultry and fish, as well as nuts, seeds, soy products and some vegetables.
All humans require glutamine. However, certain people may require more depending on their health and lifestyle.
Who should avoid too much glutamine?
Most people are safe from glutamine supplements and food.
Some people should not take glutamine as a supplement because they have difficulty metabolizing it.
L-glutamine supplementation should be avoided by those suffering from liver or kidney disease. Supplementation should be avoided by people with liver disease or kidney disease. Glutamine is metabolized within the liver.
Glutaamine supplements should be avoided by pregnant or nursing women, since there has not been enough research.
Are there any negative effects of glutamine?
Supplements that contain glutamine (in its L-glutamine format) are safe because the body naturally produces L-glutamine. Naked Glutamine is a brand that does not contain artificial sweeteners, flavors or other additives.
Glutamin is safe for most people. But, taking more than the recommended dosage can cause stomach pain, nausea, gas, vomiting, or other side effects.
Glutamin supplements should be taken as directed.
There is no right time to take a glutamine supplement. You need to ensure that you are getting enough protein every day and not just glutamine.
Although glutamine is only one amino acid there are many that are essential for good health and proper functioning.
How can I increase my glutamine naturally?
The best way to naturally increase glutamine is to eat glutamine-rich food. You can add glutamine-rich foods such as eggs, yogurt, and beef to your meals or snacks.
For those who eat a lot of plant-based foods, you can power up your salads by adding radish greens or collard greens to them.
To ensure that you get more glutamine in your diet, it is important to eat regularly throughout the day. You might consider adding 2-3 glutamine-rich snacks to your daily meal.
Some people, especially athletes or those who eat a plant-based diet, may have difficulty getting enough glutamine from their diet. People with digestive problems or an impaired immune system might also struggle to meet their glutamine requirements. Supplements may be useful in these situations, as well as increasing your intake glutamine-rich food.
Bottom line
An amino acid, glutamine, plays many roles in the human body. Although glutamine is most commonly known for its role in gut health and immune health, it also plays a significant role in building muscle and tissue repair, as well as improving athletic performance.
Although the body can produce glutamine by itself, there are times when it is not able to. In these cases, consuming glutamine-rich foods or taking a supplement with glutamine can be very helpful.
