Amino acids are vital to health and body function. Your body uses 22 amino acids to carry out various functions. Your body can manufacture 14 amino acids on its own, while the remaining eight are received through your diet. Glutamic acid, or glutamate is an amino acid your body manufactures and is also available in protein-rich foods. Glutamic acid plays an important role in your body to promote wellness.
Glutathione Production
Glutamic acid is one of the most abundant amino acids in your body. One of its primary roles is in the production of glutathione, your body's primary antioxidant. Oxygen uptake leaves behind highly charged, unstable molecules known as free radicals. When free radical levels rise, your body can suffer from oxidative stress, allowing free radicals to damage cells, tissue and DNA. Your body uses glutathione to neutralize these potentially harmful cells and safely remove them from your body. This makes glutathione crucial to the protection of your body's cells.
GABA Production
Another primary role of glutamic acid is in the production of gamma-amino-butyric acid, or GABA, an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter. GABA works as a chemical messenger, sending and receiving messages to and from the brain and central nervous system. Particularly, GABA prevents cells from over-firing, this reduces overstimulation of the central nervous system. Because of this, it is known as a soothing chemical and often included in supplements marketed for anxiety and insomnia.
Fat and Carbohydrate Metabolism
Think of your body as a car and carbohydrates and fat as the gas fueling it. Your body uses several fuel sources, carbohydrates as the primary, fat another. Your ability to digest carbohydrates and fat, and use them as fuel sources largely depends on nutrients such as glutamic acid. Glutamic acid helps your body metabolize fat and carbohydrates and use them as fuel sources. This makes glutamic acid an important part of energy production. Your muscle rely on glutamic acid for fuel and it assists in recovery from strenuous exercise.
Other Roles
The role of glutamic acid doesn't stop there. Along with its primary roles, it is also responsible for removing ammonia from the body, a substance that is harmful when elevated. Glutamic acid is a component of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps produce and maintain new cells and prevents anemia, or low red blood cells. Another role of glutamic acid is in the transport of potassium into your spinal fluid. Potassium is important to the proper function cells, tissues and organs and works together with sodium to balance fluids.
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