OVERVIEW OF THE TWENTY-TWO ESSENTIAL

AND NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS

Daniel S. Smith, D.C.

Note: This informational document contains many details concerning common question asked
about Amino Acid Therapy and other nutritional advice for various health disorders. Great
care was taken to ensure the accuracy of the information offered here. This information is
intended to provide general information only, and it is not a substitute for medical treatment.
All matters regarding health or a particular health situation should be supervised a health care
professional.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and neurotransmitters throughout the body. There
are a total of twenty-two amino acids that help the entire health of the body metabolically and
hormonally and work to build protein molecules required by the body to repair, renew and grow.
Ten of these are considered essential and twelve are considered non-essential amino acids.
Essential amino acids are those which cannot be synthesized by the body and must be supplied by
dietary intake. Non-essential amino acids can be synthesized by the body by combining two or
more of the essential amino acids. Since the body is complex by nature, the bio-chemical
processes require both essential and non-essential amino acids.

Combined in different ways there are hundreds of amino acids intermediates performing tasks
throughout your body which are commonly know as “metabolic pathways”. These pathways are
multiple and are essential for maintaining a healthy bodyi. Some of these important roles of the
amino acid complex system are the production of enzymes needed for metabolism to
neurotransmitters in the brain which stabilize your mood, muscle growth, tissue repair and
immune system responses. The value of taking a complete amino acid nutritional supplement
such as Total Amino Solution is to assure all the metabolic pathways are nourished and fortified.
This a vital requirement to maintain whole body health and prevent illnesses from heart disease,
diabetes and hypoglycemia, depression, a weak immune system, cancer, and more.

The list below is meant to highlight the variety of roles these diverse chemicals have in the health
and wellness of our body’s total health. At the same time, these functions are merely a fraction of
the multiple roles that any one amino acid has in the body*.

Essential Amino Acids:

Essential amino acids mean they cannot be made in the body. They must come from dietary
intake. If we do not ingest them from our diet our body will be deficient and illness will follow.
The body will also ‘steal” from other amino acid pods to compensate for deficiency. The best
sources for essential amino acids are: meat, fish, fowl, eggs, soy, and dairy products.

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 1. Arginine
2. Histadine
3. Isolleucine
4. Leucine
5. Valine
6. Lysine
7. Methioning
8. Phenylalanine
9. Threonine
10. Tryptophan

Non-Essential Amino Acids:

It is widely recognized that even the non-essential can become essential in times of great stress
and needs for the body.

11. Alanine
12. Aspartic acid (Asparagine)
13. Carnitine
14. Cysteine (Cystine)
15. GABA
16. Glutamic Acid
17. Glutamine
18. Glycine
19. Proline
20. Serine
21. Taurine
22. Tyrosine

The following provides the key functions each individual amino acid plays in the body.

Essential Amino Acids

1. Arginine is converted to nitric oxide by an enzyme called nitric oxide syntheses. Nitric oxide
serves to keep pathogens out of the digestive tract; it serves to dilate blood vessels, and it is a
potent source of energy and a sexual stimulant as well.
Upper back tension responds particularly well to L-arginine. Other effects are muscle building
and fat burning (especially when combined with exercise) with overall weight loss, accelerated
wound healing, tissue repair and strengthened tendons and ligaments. L-arginine should be taken
with vitamin C, vitamin B6 and a good mineral supplement for maximum effect.
Other benefits of Arginine:
• Important for the transport of and elimination of the end products of protein
• Accelerating of wound healing.
• Enhancement of thymus activity.
• Insulin production enhanced.
• Fat metabolism enhanced.
2. Histadine is abundant in hemoglobin that is required for growth and repair of tissue.
Inadequate levels of Histidine are found in the blood of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and
in individuals with arthritic synovial fluid. Histidine level is a sensitive index of overall protein
metabolism. During severe stress, Histidine is needed by the body more than any other amino
acid.

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Other benefits of Histidine:
• Maintenance of myelin sheaths
• Removal of toxic metals from the body
• Treatment of arthritis
• Protective against effects of radiation
3, 4 and 5. Isolleucine, Leucine and Valine. These three essential amino acids commonly
work as a team or what we describe as a “branch chain” family of amino acids also knows as
(BCAAs). Together they work to protect muscle during stress and during high energy states and
act as fuel for muscle metabolism. This team is well known for maintaining muscle and skeletal
health. Leucine accounts for 8% of protein found in muscle tissue followed right behind Isoleicine
and Valine. The BCAAs family is often used, in high doses, intravenously, after surgery or severe
trauma to help the body recover. For body builders, weight lifters, and athletes, BCAAs provide a
viable alternative to steroids.
Other benefits of “Branched Chain Amino Acids:
• Decreases muscle wasting in disease conditions affecting movement and muscles
• Treating symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s disease.
• When BCAAs are depleted from the body a decrease in bone density is observed
• In the brain, BCAAs function in producing calming and pain reliving effects.
6. Lysine is required for growth and bone development in children, assists in calcium absorption
and maintaining the correct nitrogen balance in the body and maintaining lean body mass.
Furthermore it is needed to produce antibodies, hormones, enzymes, collagen formation as well
as repair of tissue.
Since it helps with the building of muscle protein, it is useful for patients recovering from injuries
and recovery after operations, and there might be use in lysine to help maintain healthy blood
vessels. It also seems to assist in fighting herpes and cold sores.
Other benefits of Lysine:
• Deficiency may lead to fatigue, dizziness and anemia
• Assist in the brains ability to concentrate
• Viral control for herpes simplex
7. Methioning assists in the breakdown of fats and thereby prevents the build-up of fat in the
arteries, as well as assisting with the digestive system and removing heavy metals from the body
since it can be converted to cysteine, which is a precursor to gluthione, which is of prime
importance in detoxifying the liver.
The amino acid Methionine is also a great antioxidant as the sulfur it supplies inactivates free
radical. It may also be used to treat depression, arthritis pain as well as chronic liver disease -
although these claims are still under investigation. Some studies have also indicated that
Methionine might improve memory recall.
It is also one of the three amino acids needed by the body to manufacture creatine monohydrate,
a compound essential for energy production and muscle building.
Other benefits of Methionine:
• Detoxifying agent
• Antioxidant
• Deficiency can lead to atherosclerosis

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 • Essential for selenium bioavailability
8. Phenylalanine is an amino acid which is used by the body to produce the neurotransmitters
norepinephrine and dopamine which promote alertness. L-phenylalanine can reduce hunger,
increase sexual interest, improve memory and mental alertness and alleviate depression.
DL-phenylalanine (DLPA), not to be confused with plain phenylalanine, is a mixture of equal
parts of the "D-" (synthetic) and "L-" (natural) phenylalanine. DL-phenylalanine inhibits the
enzymes systems which destroy endorphins, and the resulting increased level of endorphins
accounts for the effects of DLPA: pain relief and strong antidepressant action. DLPA is very
useful in conditions of chronic pain such as arthritis, low back pain, neuralgia, etc. Some people,
who do not respond to ordinary pain relievers, such as Empirin, do respond to DLPA. The
analgesic effect of DLPA may require from four days to two weeks to manifest but once it does
appear it is long lasting.
Other benefits of Phenylalanine:
• Gives rise to other neurotransmitters in the brain
• Powerful, non-toxic; non-addictive painkiller
• Natural anti-depressant potential
9. Threoinine is required to help maintain the proper protein balance in the body, as well as
assist in the formation of collagen and elastin in the skin.
It is further involved in liver functioning (including fighting fatty liver), lipotropic functions when
combined with aspartic acid and methionine as well as assisting the immune system by helping
the production of antibodies and promotes thymus growth and activity.
Other nutrients are also better absorbed when threoinine is present, and it has also been used as
part treatment of mental health.
Other benefits of threoinine:
• Deficient in grains therefore vegans and vegetarians may be deficient if there diet is
imbalanced.
• Personality disorder can result in deficiency of threoinine
10. Tryptophan is required for the production of niacin (vitamin B3). It is used by the human
body to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is important for normal nerve and brain
function. Serotonin is important in sleep, stabilizing emotional moods, pain control,
inflammation, intestinal peristalsis, immune function, etc.
It is further important in controlling hyperactivity in children, assists in alleviating stress, helps
with weight loss and reducing appetite. It has also been found that people suffering from migraine
headaches have abnormal levels of tryptophan, and in this supplementation may be helpful.
Other benefits for tryptophan:
• Inverse relationship between tryptophan and emotional complaints
• Natural anti-depressive potential
• Is often called “The Inner Sunshine Nutrient” for it properties to fight off “The Winter
Blues”,
• Useful for individuals with tendencies for obsessive thinking and low self esteem

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Non Essential Amino Acids
11. Alanin (Alanineis) required for the metabolism of glucose and tryptophan and beta-
alanine is a constituent of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) as well as coenzyme A. It has also
demonstrated a cholesterol-reducing effect in rats.
People suffering from Epstein Barr (also sometimes referred to as glandular fever) as well as
chronic fatigue syndrome; have been linked to excessively high levels of alanine while having low
levels of tyrosine and phenylalanine.
Other benefits of alanine:
• Essential in tryptophan synthesis
• Reduces effect of cholesterol
12. Asparagine and Aspartic Acid. Asparagine is a non-essential amino acid and is closely
related to aspartic acid, and can be manufactured from this nutrient and was first isolated in 1932
from asparagus and is also widely available in plant protein. It is required by the nervous system
to maintain equilibrium and is also required for amino acid transformation from one form to the
other which is achieved in the liver.
Other benefits of Asparagine and aspartic acid:
• Synthesis of glycoproteins
• Amino donor in the liver
• Detoxification of ammonia
• Increases endurance in athletes
13. Carnitine is used for long-chain fatty acid transport and is required for entry of these long-
chain fatty acids into the mitochondria of the cell, as well as for the removal of short-chain
organic acids from the mitochondria, which frees the intra-mitochondrial coenzyme. It is
therefore important for the energy supply within the cell, as well as muscles, assists in preventing
fatty build-up in areas such as the heart, liver, and skeletal muscles.
It may also reduce the risk of poor fat metabolism in diabetes, alcohol-induced fatty liver as well
as the risk of heart problems. Carnitine has also been shown to improve the antioxidant effect of
vitamin C as well as E.
Other benefits of carnitine:
• Men have a greater need than women. Possible relationship to male infertility issues
• Used for circulatory problems
• Potential use in muscular dystrophy
• Protects against myocardial infarction by removing free fatty acids
14. Cysteine (Cystine). Your skin, as well as detoxification of your body, requires cysteine. It is
found in beta-keratin, the main protein in nails, skin as well as hair. It not only is important in
collagen production but also assists in skin elasticity and texture.
Cysteine is also required in the manufacture of the amino acid taurine and is a component of the
antioxidant gluthione. It is useful to detoxify the body from harmful toxins and help protect the
brain and liver from damage from alcohol, drugs etc. It has also been found that it may help in
strengthening the protective lining of the stomach as well as intestines, which may help prevent
damage caused by aspirin and similar drugs.
Other benefits of Cysteine:
• This along with methionnine and cystine are sulphur containing amino acids

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 • Essential for adequate utilization of vitamin B-6
• Removes heavy metals such as mercury from the brain
• Involved in the maintenance of strengthening hair
Cystine is a crystalline, sulfur-containing amino acid, formed from two molecules of the amino
acid cysteine. It can be converted to cysteine by reduction and was discovered in 1810 but was not
recognized as a component of proteins until 1899, when it was isolated from animal horn – it is
particularly abundant in skeletal and connective tissues, hair and digestive enzymes.
Other benefits of cystine:
• Utilized in chronic disease states by the body
• Removes heavy metals deposits like mercury from the brain
• Involved in the maintenance of strengthening hair
15. GABA; Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid. GABA is required as an inhibitory neurotransmitter
to block the transmission of an impulse from one cell to another in the central nervous system,
which prevents over-firing of the nerve cells.
It is also used for brain metabolism and to treat both epilepsy and hypertension where it is
thought to induce tranquility in individuals who have a high activity of manic behavior and acute
agitation. In combination with inositol and nicotinamide it helps with blocking anxiety and stress
related impulses from reaching the motor centers of the brain.
Other benefits of GABA:
• Can be used to calm a person, much like tranquilizers, but without the possibility of
addiction
• Regulator of neuronal activity
• Useful in enlarged prostate cases
16 and 17. Glutamine and Glutamic Acid. Under certain conditions glutamine becomes an
essential amino acid. Glutamine is converted to glutamic acid in the brain, which is essential for
cerebral functions, and increases the amount of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is
required for brain functioning and mental activity.
It is used in the muscles for the synthesis of muscle proteins, and is of use for the
Treatment of wasting muscles after illness or post-operative care. Higher doses of 3-5 grams are
common by body builders for improved muscle mass development.
Although the body requires nitrogen, free nitrogen in the body can be harmful since it forms
ammonia – especially toxic to the brain. The liver normally converts ammonia to urea, excreted in
the urine – but glutamic acid attaches itself to nitrogen and forms glutamic acid, while removing
ammonia from the brain.
It further is used in the body to balance the acid/alkaline level and is also the basis or building
blocks of RNA and DNA.
It serves as a source of fuel for cells lining the intestines and it is also used by white blood cells
and is important for immune function.
Other benefits of glutamine and glutamic acid:
• Dominant amino acid in cerebro-spinal fluid
• Glutamine readily passes through the blood-brain barrier
• Glutamic acid has “unique brain fuel” properties
• Useful in treating childhood behavioral problems

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 • Decreases the desire for alcohol and sugar cravings
• Useful in depression
18. Glycine is required to build protein in the body and synthesis of nucleic acids, the
construction of RNA as well as DNA, bile acids and other amino acids in the body. It is further
found to be useful in aiding the absorption of calcium in the body.
It helps in retarding degeneration of muscles since it helps to supply extra creatine in the body. It
is also found in fairly large amounts in the prostate fluid and may for this reason be important in
prostate health.
The glycine amino acid is also used by the nervous system and its function as an inhibitory
neurotransmitter makes it important to help prevent epileptic seizures and it is also used in the
treatment of manic depression and hyperactivity.
Other benefits of glycine:
• Takes part in liver detoxification
19. Proline improves skin texture and aids collagen formation and helps contain the loss of
collagen during aging. Collagen in the skin contains hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine, which is
formed from proline and lysine, in which ascorbic acid seems to be important in this conversion.
Collagen contains about 15 % proline. It is also thought to be important in the maintenance of
muscles, joints and tendons.
It is recommended that an ample supply of vitamin C be present to maximize the efficiency of
proline.
Other benefits of praline:
• Useful in reducing collagen degeneration in the aging process
20. Serine is required for the metabolism of fat, tissue growth and the immune system as it
assists in the production of immuno-globulins and antibodies. It is a constituent of brain proteins
and nerve coverings and is also important in the formation of cell membranes, involved in the
metabolism of purines and pyrimidines, and muscle synthesis. It is also used in cosmetics as a
skin moisturizer.
Other benefits of serine:
• Used externally in cosmetics as a moisturizing agent
21. Taurine is a key ingredient of bile, which in turn is needed for fat digestion, absorption of
fat-soluble vitamins as well as the control of cholesterol serum levels in the body. This nutrient is
also used in the proper use of potassium, calcium as well as sodium in the body, and for
maintaining cell membrane integrity. It is thought to be helpful with anxiety, hyperactivity, poor
brain function and epilepsy as well as hydrating the brain. Taurine, together with zinc is also
required for proper eye health and vision.
Other benefits of taurine:
• Deficiency in childhood predisposes to epilepsy
• Used to treat epilepsy
• Used as a mood relaxant
22. Tyrosine. The action of this amino acid in brain functions is clear with its link to dopamine
as well as norepinephrine, but it is also helpful in suppressing the appetite and reducing body fat,
production of skin and hair pigment, the proper functioning of the thyroid as well as the pituitary
and adrenal gland.

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It is used for stress reduction and may be beneficial in narcolepsy, fatigue, anxiety, depression,
allergies, headaches as well as drug withdrawal. In a study, using soldiers, tyrosine proved
effective in alleviating stress and keeping them more alert.
Other benefits of tyrosine:
• Precursor of thyroid hormones
• Precursor of dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine
• Deficiency leads to low body temperature; low blood pressure
• Aids in altering abnormal brain function in its capacity as a neurotransmitter
• Suggested use in Parkinson’s disease and some types of depression

Genesa Corporate Contact

Daniel S. Smith, D.C.

Genesa Inc.
3000 Danville Blvd. Suite 317
Alamo, California 94507
Office: 925-389-7052
Website: www@genesaliving.com
Email: dsmith@genesaliving.com

i The Amino Revolution, Erdmann, Ph.D.

* The content of this information does not include the recommended amount of any amino acid you may
require for your health benefits.

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