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Glutamine is another type of amino acid made by the body. The body may make enough amino acid but in cases where you’re ill, having extreme stress, or heavy exercise, your body may not produce enough of it and you need to look for the glutamine supplement in form of L-glutamine to increase your protein building block. Let’s look at the pros and cons of taking the l-glutamine supplement.
Pros:
1. Reduce stress: Consumption of glutamine supplements reduces the release of cortisol component leading to reduced stress in individuals.
2. Prevent critical illness: Glutamine prevents bacteria from moving into parts of the body from the intestine after an injury.
3. Reduces Infections: Glutamine supplement is used to reduce infections caused by burns, surgeries, injuries, and other trauma. It can also reduce soreness after workouts.
4. Boost immune system: L-glutamine helps in the proper functioning and strengthening of the immune system. It helps in removing the waste products from the body as well as removing the excess ammonia.
5. Prevent upper respiratory tract infections: Athletes and bodybuilders use the supplement after strenuous workouts and marathons to avoid respiratory tract infections.
6. Assist cancer patients: Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy may experience mouth inflammation or diarrhea. Taking glutamine supplements can ease the condition and reduce the severity of diarrhea.
7. Weight benefits: It helps in gaining muscle and lean body tissue. It also helps in burning body fat in overweight people leading to a reduced abdomen, increasing the body physique, and promoting lean body tissue.
8. Treat inflammatory bowel disease: The l-glutamine helps protect the gastrointestinal tract lining (mucosa) easing inflammatory bowel conditions or irritable bowel disease.
9. Speed up wound healing: Glutamine speeds up the healing process of wounds, open sores, injuries, and also prevent further infections in the wound after surgery. When the body is undergoing a traumatic experience like burns or injuries, it consumes more glutamine than what is produced from the muscle stores and this can prolong wound healing. Adding l-glutamine supplements to your diet will speed up the process.
10. Increase performance: Athletes use glutamine during excessive exercises to boost their energy and increase their performance. It enables them to quickly recover the lost energy and prevent muscle wasting.
Cons:
1. Mental disorder: Artificial glutamate can cause mental disorders in people suffering from Mania.
2. Allergy: If you’re sensitive or allergic to monosodium glutamate you should also avoid l-glutamine since the body will convert the glutamine to glutamate.
3. Cirrhosis: L-glutamine can worsen cirrhosis condition. People with the condition should avoid taking the supplement.
4. Worsen liver disease: Although glutamine may not have side effects on some people, the supplement can worsen severe liver conditions which are associated with difficulties in thinking and a lot of confusion.
5. Increase Risk of Seizures: Taking large quantities of the supplement can increase the risk of seizures in some people.
6. Interactions: Glutamine interacts with cancer drugs reducing the effectiveness of the drugs especially chemotherapy medications.
7. Decrease the effectiveness of lactulose: Glutamine interacts with lactulose compounds that are essential for reducing ammonia in the body. Taking the supplement together with the lactulose reduces its effectiveness.
8. Affect brain chemicals: Taking high content of glutamine affects chemicals found in the brain thus reducing the effectiveness of medicines used to treat seizures.
9. Side effects: Some people may experience shortness of breath, headache, swelling on the face or lips, and sore throat after taking the supplement.
10. Chest pain: It can affect people with a chest condition. It increases pains in the chest.
