Ep. 098 – Know Your Numbers – Amino Acids

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Good morning and welcome to Episode 98 of the Train Your Brain Podcast with Dr. Michael Trayford. Every Monday we produce a 30-minute episode. Tuesday through Sunday we produce episodes with five-minute tips. Every episode of the Train Your Brain Podcast features a tip, so you can receive pointers 365 days a year that will help enhance the performance of your brain!

This morning Dr. Trayford shares braining training tip number 98. This Know Your Numbers segment is about amino acids. We absorb some amino acids from our foods and other amino acids our body just makes on its own. It is a good idea to have your amino acid levels tested to make sure that you are not only getting enough amino acids from your diet but also that you digestive system is properly absorbing them. Thanks for listening!

If you have any concerns regarding the information and applications discussed in this podcast, please consult your physician and a doctor who is experienced in functional neurology. Michael Trayford DC, DACNB is available for consultation by calling (828) 708-5274. Thanks for listening.

This tip is an introduction to a longer episode that we’ll delve into later. Think of this as an introduction to the topic of amino acids and their relationship to brain health.

There are all different types of amino acids. In a nutshell, amino acids for proteins that essentially contribute to the processes that occur in your body. They are the building blocks of life.

There are essentially three different classes of amino acids. Essential amino acids that cannot be made by the body, they must be taken in through your diet. This includes histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

Non-essential amino acids can be produced by our body, even if we don’t get them from the food we eat. This includes amino acids like aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid and serine. These acids have a lot to do with nerve conduction.

Conditional amino acids are usually not essential, meaning that in times of illness and stress the body can produce them as needed they include arginine, cysteine, glycine, glutamine, proline, and tyrosine.

Amino acids have a role in nerve condition and sending messages between nerve cells. There are some in particular that have a lot to do with nerve condition.

All of these levels can be tested and we can find out if levels are too low. By and large we’re not concerned if levels are too high. For example, if someone has a problem with low glutamic acid, they might not be producing a certain chemical or neurotransmitter like glutamate very efficiently.

This could mean the brain’s ability to excite other neurons won’t work that great.

If there are shortages of glycine or aspertate, they won’t be able to produce the neuro transmitter that stops signaling.

There are several different conditions like ADHD that are related to deficiencies in neuro transmitters. To start with it’s a good idea to get your amino acids tested, to look at essential, non essential and give numbers of each. If any of them are low, you might need to look at supplemental amino acids of changes in diet to get these amino acid levels up.

There could also be challenges with digestion and the assimilation of nutrients, so it could be related to GI problems.


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