3 Amino Acids that Affect Blood Sugar

1. Valine

Properties: is a nonpolar amino acid. This means it has no charge, so it goes on the inside of membranes(integral). It also is essential, so your body cannot produce it on its own and needs help from outside sources such as food.

Function: Valine helps shape the binding sites on cells to fit certain proteins with chemical messages, forming a perfect lock and key fit. When cells receive the proteins they need to function, thanks to valine, they can listen to what the brain tells them in the protein’s messages.

Simpler Explanation: What does all this jargon boil down to? Essentially, valine aids in repairing tissues, muscle metabolism, and nitrogen balance. Most relative to this blog, however, is the fact that it is glucogenic, so it can be converted to glucose. It is a very high energy amino acid.

Glucose Relation: With glucose levels, the higher they are, the more full a person feels and the stronger the signals are when you are full. So, to lose weight, you actually want to increase your glucagon levels and decrease your insulin levels to make your body feel full and increase energy expenditure. Valine is crucial in raising the glucose levels, as it is a glucogenic amino acid.

Examples:
Fish, beef, chicken, pork, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and milk.

Disclaimer: Too much valine can cause excess nitrogen, which leads to a weak metabolism and an overly functioning kidney. In my opinion, taking valine naturally though food is healthier than taking it through pure supplements because there is a greater risk of accidentally taking too much with supplements, and valine supplements have been shown to lead to growth problems.

2. Alanine

Properties: It is, like valine, nonpolar. It is also nonessential, so your body can make it on its own.

Function: Through the glucose-alamine cycle, the branched chain amino acids(valine, leucine, isoleucine) in muscles form energy which is converted to alanine. The alanine is transferred to the liver, where it is broken down into glutamate and pyruvate. The glutamate is disposed and the pyruvates turn to glucose which is given back to the muscles.

Simper Explanation: Essentially, it causes the muscles to send waste to the liver cells, the liver cells get rid of this waste and give glucose to the muscles. This increases muscle energy.

Glucose Relation: As alanine helps the body use up glucose by giving it to muscles, this keeps the blood sugar low. I think, especially for those with Type 1 Diabetes, where muscles don’t take in all the glucose, so there is too much excess glucose, alanine is important in using up the unused glucose and lowering blood sugar.

Examples:
Fish, Turkey, chicken, eggs, beans, spinach, peanuts, lentils

3. Arginine

Properties: Like valine, it is essential. However, it is also polar, and positive, so the proteins are on the outside of cell membranes.

Function: It is converted into nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator, opening blood vessels and aiding in blood flow. More importantly, it enters pancreatic beta cells, antibody making cells, and is converted into ATP, which shuts down the potassium channels and increases the flow of calcium, which pushes insulin out into the blood stream, lowering blood sugar levels. Especially because it has a positive charge, arginine is also able to make the increase the positive charge inside the cell, depolarizing it. This will cause the insulin to be pushed out into the blood stream at a higher rate than other amino acids.


Simpler Explanation: Arginine helps feed beta cells, strengthening immune system responses and also helps with blood pressure.

Glucose Relation: It increases insulin levels, controlling blood glucose levels and helping to lower them more quickly.

Examples: Red meat, chicken, turkey, fish(especially salmon), milk, yogurt, cheese, avocado, bananas, watermelon, kiwi, almonds, and cashews