Amino Acids that Improve Energy and Mood
Your health is essential, so you should take care of your body by exercising regularly and eating the right things.
Fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates, and meat… Everyone knows the essential elements of eating well, but things are a little more complicated than just making sure you have five portions of fruits or vegetables daily with rice or chicken.
You need to start making a note of the sort of minerals and vitamins you are getting every day, as these are essential to your health and well-being and the maintenance of your body. Amongst the most important of these are amino acids.
What are amino acids?
Amino acids are organic compounds that occur naturally inside the body and in many different foodstuffs.
They are essential to the well-being of your body and can help build and maintain the health of your muscles and various organs, amongst other things.
Although they are naturally found in foods regularly eaten worldwide, sometimes people are not getting enough to ensure that they are getting the most out of them. Particularly important to note is that there are two sorts of amino acids: ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential.’
Essential amino acids
So-called ‘essential’ amino acids are the amino acids we have to get from foods, for instance, because our bodies cannot make them on their own.
These are the amino acids you need to ensure that you get from your daily meals.
If at all possible, try to measure how much you are ingesting each day to make sure that you are getting your daily allowance.
If you are not, there are plenty of amino acid supplements out there that can make up the difference.
Non-essential amino acids
As long as you eat healthily, get plenty of exercise,s and generally take care of yourself, your body will naturally produce what are called ‘non-essential’ amino acids.
The amino acids that your body can synthesize by itself rather than ingest from other sources such as food, drink, or supplements.
Just because these are called ‘non-essential’ amino acids, however, does not mean that you do not need them: if your body is to work correctly, it will need to make sure to create these amino acids to promote tissue repair, for instance.
Which amino acids improve energy and mood?
Amino acids are naturally occurring organic compounds in the body that have several functions in their maintenance.
Instead of using artificial chemicals and harmful substances to balance out mood and improve energy levels, you could consider investing in amino acid supplements since certain amino acids help your energy levels and your mood.
Below are four amino acids that can improve your mood and energy:
1- Phenylalanine
This is one of the so-called ‘essential’ amino acids that cannot be synthesized within the body. Therefore, you need to get it from the food you eat or particular amino acid supplements.
This amino acid directly affects your mood and energy levels by producing tyrosine (for more information, see below).
Phenylalanine supplements are most commonly used to help treat PMS (premenstrual syndrome), depression, and general malaise. (It can also be used as a natural treatment for chronic pain.)
There are several different phenylalanine supplements: DL-phenylalanine, D-phenylalanine, and L-phenylalanine.
Suppose you are looking for an amino acid supplement to help with your energy. In that case, you will need L-phenylalanine, as D-phenylalanine is used more to treat pain, and DL-phenylalanine is a combination of the two.
2- Glutamine
This amino acid is beneficial for combating fatigue and depression as it can improve energy levels and mood in general.
L-glutamine supplements are amongst the most popular on the market and are well-known to be very effective for many people.
Glutamic acid from glutamine helps with brain function processes. When stressed or sad, this is used up and needs to be replenished, and getting it from L-glutamine supplements is the perfect way to help improve your mood.
You can also take this amino acid supplement to help with post-workout muscle pain.
3- Tyrosine
As mentioned above, tyrosine is produced by phenylalanine. Tyrosine helps to maintain a good level of energy and can help to establish a good, strong metabolism.
The supplement L-tyrosine is often used to treat tiredness and depression, so it is perfect if you need a boost for your energy or mood.
You can use tyrosine with phenylalanine if one is not working effectively for you. There is no danger of overdosing, either, because there is a limited amount that your body can assimilate.
After that point, it will not ingest more of the amino acid, and it will pass harmlessly through your body.
4- Tryptophan
lastly, we have another ‘essential’ amino acid that works with the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain to improve your mood.
Serotonin is one of the chemicals in the brain, like dopamine, that makes you feel happy and calm. As a result, tryptophan can help with general malaise, depression, and even anxiety.
It can also help to level out even extreme mood swings. This amino acid does not increase your energy levels, however. Instead, people often take it just before bed to get themselves feeling relaxed.
Do not let the long and scary-sounding names of all these amino acids put you off: they are all naturally occurring and very good for you if your body is going to work correctly; they are essential.
They provide a natural boost for your mood and energy even in relatively small doses, so investing in particular amino acid supplements is the perfect way to feel great and keep healthy.