Amino acids can be understood as the building blocks of natural peptides and proteins, which are an important part of the human energy supply. They can be divided into essential, semi-essential and non-essential.
Essential amino acids are those that humans cannot produce themselves. Thus, they must be ingested through food. These include isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.
The following is a brief list of the effects and functions of essential amino acids:
Isoleucine
- Building block of structural & functional proteins in the body
- Starting substance for the formation of non-essential amino acids
- Serves as an energy supplier in the muscle
- Belongs to the basic amino acids
Leucine
- Building block of structural & functional proteins in the body
- Starting substance for the formation of non-essential amino acids
- Serves as an energy supplier in the muscle
- Belongs to the basic amino acids
Lysine
- Building block of structural & functional proteins in the body
- Starting substance for the formation of non-essential amino acids
- Is a component of collagen
- Belongs to the basic amino acids
Methionine
- Is an important source of sulfur
- Belongs to the neutral amino acids
- Building block of structural & functional proteins in the body
- Starting substance for the formation of non-essential amino acids
- Important in the synthesis of glucose
Phenylalanine
- Building block of structural & functional proteins in the body
- Starting substance for the formation of non-essential amino acids
- Important in the synthesis of glucose & fat bodies.
- Belongs to the aromatic amino acids
Threonine
- Building block of structural & functional proteins in the body
- Starting substance for the formation of non-essential amino acids
- Important in the synthesis of glucose & fat bodies.
Tryptophan
- Building block of structural & functional proteins in the body
- Starting substance for the formation of non-essential amino acids
- Precursor of the hormones melanin (sleep hormone) and serotonin (happiness hormone)
Valine
- Building block of structural & functional proteins in the body
- Starting substance for the formation of non-essential amino acids
- Serves as an energy supplier in the muscle