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Glutamine

Glutamine, a nonessential amino acid, is an abundant protein building block found in both plants and animals.

Chemical Formula: C₅H₁₀N₂O₃

Other names: 2-Amino-4-carbamoyl-butyric acid

Layman's explanation: Glutamine was first isolated in 1932 from gliadin, which is protein common in wheat. In animals, glutamine is the only amino acid that can readily cross the blood brain barrier; accounting, perhaps, for 80% of the nitrogen in brain tissue. Even with the ability to cross the barrier, glutamine is not a neurotransmitter. Instead, it is a major fuel source for the body. The concentration of glutamine is about three to four times greater than all other amino acids in the blood. It is also ten to fifteen times more concentrated in cerebrospinal fluid than in the blood. Glutamine contributes to the biosynthesis of purines and pyrimidines, the two substances that make up a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule. Excessive breakdown of glutamine can help cause infertility, depression, abdominal cramps, headache, weight loss, anorexia, and increased blood ammonia.

Keywords: blood brain barrier, body fuel

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