Amino Acids are the Building Blocks of All Your Cells

It is important to know that older adults require more protein intake than younger adults.1

If you or someone you love are showing signs of aging and are looking to maintain and improve muscle, strength, stamina and balance, then consider supplementing with essential amino acids. Essential amino acid deficiencies can lead to a wide variety of health issues including muscle wasting, skin fragility, decreased immune function, less ability to heal and taking more time to recoup from illness.1

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and structural enzymes in the body. There are two main types of amino acids; essential and non-essential. There are 20 amino acids in total, nine of which are essential amino acids. That means the body cannot make them on its own. The combination of essential and non-essential amino acids make up oligopeptides, peptides and polypeptides, otherwise known as the proteins that make up our cells. Both essential and non-essential amino acids are available in a wide variety of food sources.

Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids include methionine, lysine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, histidine and valine. A branched chain amino acid (BCAA) is just what it sounds like. It is a branched chain of amino acids that form the structure to build healthy cells. Essential amino acids are required by external food sources to form specific proteins in the body that are necessary for protein development. All of the nine essential amino acids are found in red meat, fish, poultry, eggs and animal milk products. Plant-based foods need to be combined to obtain all nine essential amino acids.

Non-essential Amino Acids

The 11 remaining non-essential amino acids include alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine and tyrosine. All of the non-essential amino acids are made in the body, primarily from glucose. The exception is tyrosine which is synthesized by phenylalanine and therefore not essential in the human diet. Non-essential amino acids can also be obtained by animal and plant-based foods.

Amino Acids and You

There are about 200 different cell types in the body and we are all made entirely of cells. When you think of a cell, think of the building blocks of amino acids needed to make the protein structure and functions of all your 60 trillion cells. The combination of essential and non-essential amino acids are the building blocks of proteins needed for specialized cells such as muscles for strength, hormones for endocrine health, antibodies for immune health and all of our vital organs, to name just a few.

Why Supplement with Essential Amino Acids

For many aging people simply consuming protein rich foods is not enough. Regardless of the source of amino chain acids in our diet, whole foods require healthy digestion to break the amino acid chains of the food sources down into the individual amino acids needed for the body to form into specialized cells. As we age, our bodies produce less enzymes, which reduces our ability to break protein down into individual amino acids. In addition, the intake of antacids, antihistamines and proton pump inhibitors also decrease stomach acidity needed to help break down protein because enzymes need the stomach to be highly acidic.

MyoHealth Contains all of the Essential Amino Acids

TriVita’s MyoHealth Essential Amino Acid Complex contains the first US patented essential amino acid complex with all nine essential amino acids from plant sources. Unlike protein powders and drinks, the amino acids in MyoHealth were developed over 30 years, based on findings from NASA, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and 25 human clinical trials led by renowned amino acid, nutrition and muscle metabolism expert Robert Wolfe, Ph.D. This essential amino acid supplement is clinically-proven to support optimal protein synthesis for the body to convert beyond energy to build lean muscle mass.

You deserve to experience improved physical stamina, endurance and healthy protein synthesis in every stage of life so you can experience greater wellness and enjoy the things you love and are purposed to do. Wishing you and your loved one’s improved muscle, strength, stamina and balance.

Paul Bernitt, DHH Board Certified Doctor of Holistic Health. Director of Wellness Services, TriVita, Inc.