Branched-chain amino acid supplements have been shown to help decrease muscle soreness and damage and increase protein synthesis in your body after exercise. These amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of protein, include leucine,...
Branched chain amino acids, BCAA, have become a popular item at your local health food store. This supplement includes the essential amino acids isoleucine, leucine and valine. You must obtain these substances from your diet, as the body cannot...
Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are essential amino acids, which means that they must be obtained from you diet. They include leucine and isoleucine and they are found naturally in protein products such as meat, dairy and legumes. They are...
Branched chain amino acids are involved in your body's regulation of protein metabolism, body composition and weight loss. The branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are so called because they each have a carbon chain that branches off from the...
Branched-chain amino acids -- leucine, isoleucine and valine -- serve numerous functions in your body, including promoting protein production, decreasing protein breakdown and speeding recovery from endurance exercise. Because of their influence...
The branched chain amino acids (BCAA) isoleucine, leucine and valine are essential amino acids that play an important role in growth, hemoglobin formation, maintenance of energy levels and protein metabolism. BCAAs feature a carbon group that...
Branched chain amino acids, also called BCAAs, are the three essential amino acids needed for protein synthesis: leucine, isoleucine and valine. These amino acids make up one third of muscle in the body. The body breaks down muscle when it needs...
Branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs, refer to three amino acids: leucine, valine and isoleucine. They play a vital role in protein metabolism and igniting muscle protein synthesis. BCAAs are normally taken in supplement form by athletes and...
Peptides and polypeptides are both chains of amino acids. Your endocrine system secretes peptides and polypeptides. After they are secreted, your blood distributes peptides and polypeptides to end organs such as your heart, kidneys and liver....
Proteins are the functional structures of life. Nearly all of the roughly 24,000 genes in each of your cells are blueprints for different proteins. Twenty amino acids are the building blocks from which all of these proteins are made. Amino acids...
According to the Mayo Clinic, a well-planned vegetarian diet is a healthy way to meet your nutritional needs. Some vegetarian diets eliminate meat, fish and poultry, but still include dairy. Other diets eliminate all animal products. But there is...
Protein powder is a mainstay of many healthy eating plans, and it is especially important if you lift weights or perform other activities that consistently stress the muscles. Protein is essential for muscle repair, and not getting enough can lead...
Carbohydrates and protein are two essential components of human diets. You need carbohydrates to supply your body with a fuel source called "glucose," while protein supplies your body with the raw materials needed to build roughly 100,000...
Unfortunately, there is not a miracle method that will make hair grow long overnight. Hair grows an average of six to eight inches per year. However, certain factors and lifestyle habits can slow hair growth. Hair is composed of amino acid chains...
Hair has three layers, the cuticle, cortex and medulla. The cuticle is the outermost layer and is made up of keratinized scales. The cortex is made up of two protein layers, sandwiched side-by-side. Both the cuticle and the cortex affect the...
Digesting food involves an intricate set of processes organized with the help of a series of organs, nerves, muscles and digestive juices. The foods you eat contain a variety of important, life-sustaining nutrients that cannot be absorbed properly...
Virtually every food that is eaten requires digestive acids and enzymes to be broken down into a state that the body can use. Each kind of macronutrient, such as protein and carbohydrates, needs a different set of these acids and enzymes. These...
Vitamin B12 is one of eight vitamins known as B complex. It is naturally present in animal foods such as meats, fish, eggs, milk and milk products. Your generally get enough B12 from your diet unless you restrict all animal products. B12 prevents...
American Whey is the brand name for a powdered compound produced by American Sports Nutrition. Whey is a byproduct of cheese production and a source of protein. According to The Rusty Dumbell.com, whey contains branched amino acid chains that...
Thorne Research manufactures a dietary supplement called Betaine HCL for improved protein digestion. The primary ingredients are betaine hydrochloride and pepsin. Other ingredients are leucine and silicon dioxide. The capsule is made of cellulose....
Digestive enzymes are proteins necessary for breaking down food into absorbable molecules. These proteins drive the chemical process of digestion within the alimentary tract. The mouth, stomach, pancreas and small intestine are all involved in the...
Protein is a general term used to described hundreds of thousands of substances made from building blocks called amino acids. Amino acids form proteins by linking to each other through connections called peptide bonds. Scientists use the term...
Amino acids are substances you rely on to form all the proteins in your body. In turn, you rely on these proteins for vital functions that include gene regulation, formation of cellular structures and transportation of oxygen in your bloodstream....
Eating healthy is an integral part of living healthy. Food provides the fuel that keeps our bodies running strong, so we must be mindful of what we eat. Individuals may choose a "no-meat" diet for health reasons, or religious or moral beliefs. In...
A vegetarian diet typically focuses on grains, vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruits as food sources. Vegetarians generally eliminate all meats from their diets, and some also limit or eliminate eggs and dairy products. Because these foods are staple...
The digestive process breaks complex molecules from food into simpler forms for absorption and use. This produces glucose, amino acids, glycerol and fatty acids. Hydrochloric acid is paramount to digestion. Betaine hydrochloride is the most common...
Protein is essential to your cells. Cells are the building blocks of life that help your body build and maintain itself. Protein is composed of amino acid chains. Glutamine is called a non-essential amino acid because your body can manufacture it....
Selenium is one of several essential trace minerals required for good health. In the U.S., plant foods grown in soils rich in selenium provide enough of the mineral to the general population to ensure a rarity of deficiency. The same foods, grown...
Protein is a macronutrient, a nutrient your body needs in large quantities to stay healthy. Protein supports the function and composes the structure of every cell in the body. Your body continuously breaks down proteins and replaces them by...
