Arginine: Effect And Occurrence In Our Food

A number of health-promoting effects are attributed to L-arginine as a dietary supplement, but it also occurs naturally in many foods. Read about the effects of L-arginine and how you can absorb it.

What is arginine and what can it do?

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid, i.e. the protein building block is conditionally vital. It can be made by the body from other amino acids. The term L-arginine is more correct: This is the form that the organism can utilize. The effect of amino acids is diverse and arginine also has its place in the complex system. According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), we usually take in enough arginine with food. The foods that contain a lot of arginine include the following:

• meat
• Fish
• shrimp
• gelatin
• legumes
• Nuts, especially peanuts
• seed

Does L-Arginine Improve Muscle Growth?

Opinions differ as to whether a targeted dietary supplement with L-arginine makes sense and what L-arginine is good for. The DGE considers a deficiency to be possible only in the case of certain illnesses or in the case of premature and newborn babies. A study in people with heart failure showed that taking L-arginine improved symptoms. According to today’s scientific standards, it has not been proven that healthy people have any advantages from taking it. Nevertheless, some strength athletes swear by the supplementation, since arginine is supposed to improve blood circulation and at the same time increase muscle performance. You take the amino acid individually or as part of protein shakes made from milk-based or vegan protein powder.

The circulation-enhancing effect of arginine

However, the vasodilating effect of L-arginine also promises advantages for people who are not athletic. They take arginine to lower blood pressure, eliminate erectile dysfunction, or to strengthen the immune system. L-arginine is said to promote the diversity of the microbiome and thus strengthen the intestine as our defense center. In women, L-arginine is touted for its soothing effects on menstrual and menopausal symptoms. However, all of these claims are not tenable or verifiable according to current scientific evidence. If you want to take the amino acid individually and not just as a component – for example of pea protein – you should know the side effects of L-arginine. If you take medication, interactions are possible. High doses of arginine can become dangerous if you use blood-thinning drugs or potency-enhancing drugs. Anyone who has had a heart attack is strongly discouraged from supplementing with arginine without medical advice.