Yes. The role of amino acids
Amino acids are the most basic substances that constitute biological proteins and are related to life activities. They are the basic units that constitute protein molecules in organisms and are closely related to biological life activities. It has special physiological functions in antibodies and is one of the indispensable nutrients in living organisms.
1. The basic substances that constitute the human body are the material basis of life
1. One of the most basic substances that make up the human body
The most basic substances that make up the human body include proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, inorganic salts, vitamins, water and dietary fiber.
As the basic unit of protein molecules, amino acids are undoubtedly one of the most basic substances in the human body.
There are more than 20 kinds of amino acids that make up the human body. They are: tryptophan, methionine, threonine, valine, lysine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, Alanine, phenylalanine, cystine, cysteine, arginine, glycine, serine, tyrosine, 3.5. diiodotyrosine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline , hydroxyproline, arginine, citrulline, urine, etc. These amino acids exist in nature and can be synthesized in plants, but not all of them can be synthesized by the human body. Eight of them cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be provided by food. They are called "essential amino acids". The 8 essential amino acids are: tryptophan, threonine, methionine, valine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine and phenylalanine. Others are "non-essential amino acids." Histidine can be synthesized in the human body, but its synthesis rate cannot meet the body's needs. Some people also classify it as an "essential amino acid". Long-term deficiency of cystine, tyrosine, arginine, serine and glycine may cause physiological dysfunction, and are listed as "semi-essential amino acids" because although they can be synthesized in the body, their synthetic raw materials are essential amino acids, and cystine Amino acid can replace 80-90% of methionine, and tyrosine can replace 70-75% of phenylalanine, playing the role of essential amino acids. The above-mentioned amino acids are divided into "essential amino acids", "semi-essential amino acids" and "non-essential amino acids". "Amino acids" are divided into three categories according to their nutritional functions; for example, according to their metabolic pathways in the body, they can be divided into "ketogenic amino acids" and "sugar-forming amino acids"; according to their chemical properties, they can be divided into neutral amino acids and acidic amino acids. and basic amino acids, most of which are neutral.
2. The material basis of life metabolism
The creation, existence and demise of life are all related to protein. As Engels said: "Protein is the material basis of life, and life is a form of protein existence." If there is a lack of protein in the human body, in mild cases, physical fitness will decline, growth retardation, weakened resistance, anemia and fatigue, and in severe cases, edema will occur, which may even be life-threatening. Once protein is lost, life will cease to exist, so some people call protein the "carrier of life." It can be said that it is the first element of life.
The basic unit of protein is amino acid. If the human body lacks any essential amino acid, it can lead to abnormal physiological functions, affect the normal progress of antibody metabolism, and ultimately lead to disease. Similarly, if the human body lacks certain non-essential amino acids, antibody metabolism disorders will occur. Arginine and citrulline are very important for the formation of urea; insufficient cystine intake will cause insulin to decrease and blood sugar to increase. Another example is that the demand for cystine and arginine increases greatly after trauma. If they are deficient, protein synthesis cannot be completed even if there is sufficient heat energy. In short, amino acids can play the following roles through metabolism in the human body: ① synthesize tissue proteins; ② turn into acids, hormones, antibodies, creatine and other ammonia-containing substances; ③ turn into carbohydrates and fats; ④ oxidize into carbon dioxide and water and Urea, produces energy. Therefore, the presence of amino acids in the human body not only provides important raw materials for protein synthesis, but also provides a material basis for promoting growth, normal metabolism, and maintaining life. If the human body lacks or reduces one of them, the human body's normal life metabolism will be hindered, and even lead to the occurrence of various diseases or the termination of life activities. This shows how much amino acids are needed in human life activities.
2. The status and role in food nutrition
Humans must ingest food in order to survive to maintain normal physiological, biochemical and immune functions of antibodies, as well as growth, development, metabolism and other life forms Activities, the comprehensive process of digestion, absorption, and metabolism of food in the body to promote the growth and development of antibodies, improve intelligence and fitness, resist aging and disease, and prolong life is called nutrition. The active ingredients in food are called nutrients.
As the most basic substances that constitute the human body, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, inorganic salts (i.e. minerals, containing macroelements and trace elements), vitamins, water and dietary fiber are also needed by the human body. of nutrients. They have their own unique nutritional functions in the body, but they are closely related in the metabolic process, and jointly participate in, promote and regulate life activities. The body communicates with the outside world through food, maintains a relatively constant internal environment, and completes the unity and balance of the internal and external environments.
What role do amino acids play in these nutrients?
1． The digestion and absorption of protein in the body is completed through amino acids
As the first nutritional element in the body, protein has an obvious role in food nutrition, but it cannot be directly used in the human body. is utilized, but is utilized by turning into amino acid small molecules. That is, it is not directly absorbed by the body in the gastrointestinal tract of the human body. Instead, it undergoes the action of a variety of digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract to decompose high molecular protein into low molecular peptides or amino acids, and then is absorbed in the small intestine. Enters the liver along the hepatic portal vein. Some amino acids are decomposed or synthesized into proteins in the liver; other amino acids continue to be distributed with the blood to various tissues and organs, allowing them to be used to synthesize various specific tissue proteins. Under normal circumstances, the speed of amino acids entering the blood is almost equal to its output, so the amino acid content in the blood of normal people is quite constant. For example, in terms of amino nitrogen, the content per 100 ml of plasma is 4 to 6 mg, and the content per 100 ml of blood cells is 6.5 to 9.6 mg. After a full meal of protein, a large amount of amino acids are absorbed, and the amino acid levels in the blood temporarily increase. After 6 to 7 hours, the levels return to normal. It shows that the metabolism of amino acids in the body is in a dynamic balance, with blood amino acids as its balance hub, and the liver is an important regulator of blood amino acids. Therefore, food protein is digested and broken down into amino acids and then absorbed by the body. Antibodies use these amino acids to synthesize their own proteins. The human body's need for protein is actually its need for amino acids.
2． Plays a role in nitrogen balance
When the quality and quantity of protein in the daily diet are appropriate, the amount of nitrogen consumed is equal to the amount of nitrogen excreted by feces, urine and skin, which is called the total nitrogen balance. It is actually a balance between the constant synthesis and breakdown of proteins and amino acids. Normal people's daily protein intake should be kept within a certain range. When the intake suddenly increases or decreases, the body can still regulate protein metabolism to maintain nitrogen balance. Eating too much protein exceeds the body's ability to regulate, and the balance mechanism will be destroyed. If you don’t eat protein at all, the tissue proteins in your body will still decompose, and a negative nitrogen balance will continue to occur. If measures are not taken to correct it in time, it will eventually lead to the death of the antibodies.
3． Transformed into sugar or fat
The a-keto acid produced by the catabolism of amino acids is metabolized according to the metabolic pathways of sugar or fat according to different characteristics. a-Keto acids can be synthesized into new amino acids, or converted into sugar or fat, or entered into the tricarboxylic cycle for oxidation and decomposition into CO2 and H2O, and release energy.
4. Participate in the formation of enzymes, hormones, and some vitamins
The chemical essence of enzymes is protein (composed of amino acid molecules), such as amylase, pepsin, cholinesterase, carbonic anhydrase, transaminase, etc. The components of nitrogen-containing hormones are proteins or their derivatives, such as growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, epinephrine, insulin, enterotropic hormone, etc. Some vitamins are converted from amino acids or combined with proteins. Enzymes, hormones, and vitamins play a very important role in regulating physiological functions and catalyzing metabolic processes.
5. Requirements of essential amino acids for the human body
The requirements of essential amino acids for adults are about 20-37 of the protein requirements.
3. Application in medical treatment
Amino acids are mainly used in medicine to prepare compound amino acid infusions, and are also used as therapeutic drugs and for the synthesis of peptide drugs. There are more than 100 kinds of amino acids currently used as medicines, including 20 kinds of amino acids that make up proteins and more than 100 kinds of amino acids that make up non-proteins.
Compound preparations composed of a variety of amino acids play a very important role in modern intravenous nutrition infusion and "elementary diet" therapy. They play an active role in maintaining the nutrition of critically ill patients and saving their lives, and have become a modern medical treatment. One of the indispensable medicinal varieties.
Amino acids such as glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, cystine, and L-dopa act alone to treat some diseases. They are mainly used to treat liver disease, digestive tract disease, encephalopathy, and heart disease. Vascular disease, respiratory disease and for muscle motility, pediatric nutrition and detoxification. In addition, amino acid derivatives have shown promise in cancer treatment.
4. Relationship with aging
If the elderly lack protein in their bodies, they will decompose more and their synthesis will slow down. Therefore, generally speaking, the elderly require more protein than young adults, and their demand for methionine and lysine is also higher than that of young adults. Elderly people over 60 years old should consume about 70 grams of protein every day, and the protein must contain a complete range of essential amino acids in an appropriate ratio. Such high-quality protein can prolong life.
Here are the benefits and disadvantages of chocolate:
Benefits: Chocolate Pharmacological Knowledge
Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals. Scientists have been analyzing and experimenting with these substances one by one for hundreds of years, and in the process they have continuously discovered and proved the vivid pharmacological effects of chocolate's various ingredients on the human body.
Chocolate is a natural guard against heart disease
Chocolate is rich in multi-source phenol complexes, which play a significant role in the oxidation or accumulation of fatty substances in human arteries. blocking effect.
Coronary heart disease, the main symptom of heart disease, is usually caused by the oxidation of the fatty substance LDL (low concentration lipoprotein) in human blood vessels and the formation of obstacles, causing cardiovascular obstruction.
The phenol complex of chocolate not only prevents the fat of the chocolate itself from becoming sour, but also can be quickly absorbed into the blood vessels after being eaten into the human body. The antioxidant content in the blood is significantly increased, and it quickly becomes active. It acts as a powerful antioxidant that prevents LDL oxidation and inhibits platelet activity in blood vessels. These essential substances play an important role in maintaining smooth blood circulation in human blood vessels.
Nutritionists have proven that such natural antioxidant phenol compounds are found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, red wine and tea.
Strawberries contain the most antioxidants among fruits. However, the antioxidant content of chocolate is eight times higher than that of strawberries.
50 grams (one ounce) of chocolate and 150 grams (three ounces) of fine red wine contain basically the same amount of antioxidants.
Chocolate has the effect of suppressing depression and making people feel euphoric
Disadvantages: Eating too much can easily make people gain weight, resulting in too much fat in food, which can lead to indigestion, gastrointestinal discomfort, etc.