The Healing Nutrients Within

by Braverman, Eric R.

• ISBN13: 9781591200376
• ISBN10: 1591200377
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-03-01
• Publisher: Basic Health Pubns

Summary

Amino acids have arrived-big time. News about amino acids is even the stuff of headlines and best sellers. Research and clinical use are booming worldwide. Aminos are becoming part of everyday life-helping people sleep, feel better, and overcome anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. They are in dietary sweeteners. They are part of new anti-aging compounds. They are used in emergency rooms for treatment of medication overdose and liver detoxification. And they are now gaining repute in blood tests, as powerful indicators of mental and physical illnesses.The two dozen amino acids present in the human body are now being shown to be among the most potent healing substances ever discovered. These constituents of protein are necessary to everyday life processes, but research and clinical work in the last two decades have revealed a vast range of therapeutic functions for amino acids, including phenylalanine’s pain-relieving powers, tyrosine’s energizing ability and addiction-fighting potential, methionine’s role in Parkinson’s disease treatment and as an antiallergen, and homocysteine’s emergence as a new and precise marker of heart disease risk. This update and revision of the landmark book on amino acids covers the exciting discoveries of the last decade and shows how to use them in your personal health-management program.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Third Edition	vii
How to Use This Book	xi
Section One: An Introduction to Amino Acids
Amino Acids: The Building Blocks of Life	1	(22)
Section Two: Aromatic Amino Acids
Phenylalanine: The Pain Reliever	23	(12)
Tyrosine: The Addiction Fighter	35	(18)
Tryptophan: The Sleep Promoter	53	(32)
Section Three: Sulfur Amino Acids
Methionine: The Antidepressant	85	(14)
Homocysteine: The Predictor of Heart Disease	99	(8)
Cysteine: The Detoxifier	107	(24)
Taurine: The Seizure Fighter	131	(16)
Section Four: Urea Amino Acids
Arginine and Its Metabolites: The Cholesterol Fighters	147	(18)
Section Five: Glutamate Amino Acids
Glutamic Acid, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, and Glutamine: The Brain's Three Musketeers	165	(18)
Proline and Hydroxyproline: The Collagen Constituents	183	(8)
Aspartic Acid and Asparagine: The Energizers	191	(10)
Section Six: Threonine Amino Acids
Threonine: The Immunity Booster	201	(8)
Glycine: The Wound Healer	209	(14)
Serine: The Potentiator of Madness	223	(10)
Alanine: The Hypoglycemia Helper	233	(10)
Section Seven: Branched-Chain Amino Acids
Isoleucine, Leucine, and Valine: The Stress Relievers	243	(18)
Section Eight: Amino Acids with Important Metabolites
Lysine: The Herpes Killer	261	(12)
Carnitine: The Heart Tonic	273	(12)
Histidine: The Arthritis Fighter	285	(10)
Section Nine: Putting It All Together
Multiple Amino Acid Abnormalities	295	(12)
Continuing Breakthroughs in Amino Acids	307	(4)
Glossary	311	(8)
References	319	(104)
Index	423	(10)
About the Authors	433