Amino acids are chemicals that make up proteins. Some of the amino acids, including glutamate, also have an important role in the brain. Problems with the cellular transport of glutamate can lead to some diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, it does not appear that levels of glutamate in your diet affect your risk or the progression of this neurodegenerative disease.
What Glutamate Is
Glutamate is an amino acid, which means that it plays a role in building proteins. In addition to its role in making proteins, glutamate is an important neurotransmitter, which means that it helps neurons send chemical signals to each other. Glutamate is one of the most important excitatory neurotransmitters in the nervous system, meaning that it triggers neuronal activity. To do this, glutamate must be secreted into a space in between neurons known as the synapse.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Problems with glutamate as a neurotransmitter are involved in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a condition that affects and destoys the motor neurons, which are the neurons that allow you to control muscle movements. Over time, the loss of function in these neurons causes your muscles to become weak, smaller and twitch. ALS is ultimately fatal because the neurons that control the diaphragm and chest wall die, resulting in the inability to breathe.
Glutamate and ALS
Although glutamate is an important neurotransmitter that is needed for the body to work, too much glutamate can be dangerous for cells. When glutamate is present in the synapses for an extended period of time, it can over-excite neurons, causing them to die. Many people who have ALS have elevated levels of glutamate in their cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Mutations that make it hard for neurons to remove glutamate from the synapses have been identified in ALS patients. These mutations could cause excess glutamate to accumulate in the synapses, killing motor neurons.
Treatment
There is no cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. There is, however, a medication, known as riluzole, that can decrease the amount of glutamate in the motor neurons and help slow the progression of the disease and prolong survival. There is no evidence that changing your diet or avoiding dietary glutamate will prolong survival or reduce your symptoms if you have ALS.
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