Methionine is an amino acid commonly found in animal-based protein and some fruits and vegetables. Methionine is considered an essential nutrient because your body doesn't synthesize it. Your body uses amino acids primarily to make protein, especially muscle fibers, connective tissue and enzymes. Methionine is also a source of dietary sulfur and other compounds your body needs for healthy metabolism and growth. If you are considering supplementing with methionine, ask your doctor about potential dangers.
Methionine and Your Liver
Methionine is both an antioxidant, which scavenges harmful free radicals, and a lipotrope, because it helps remove fatty material from your liver, according to "Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition." Other lipotropic compounds include choline and inositol. Methionine is particularly beneficial to your liver because it contains sulfur, which is essential for protecting your liver against the accumulation of heavy metals and other toxic compounds. Alcoholics can benefit from methionine supplementation because they develop fatty livers, called cirrhosis, and ingest high levels of toxic ethanol.
Methionine and Your Blood Vessels
Methionine helps control histamine production, which is involved in inflammatory reactions and causes blood vessels to dilate, or relax. Too much histamine production is the hallmark of allergies. Methionine also displays antioxidant activity that is protective for blood vessels, but excessive methionine supplementation combined with not enough intake of vitamins B-6, B-12 and folate promotes the conversion of methionine to homocysteine, according to "Human Biochemistry and Disease." Homocysteine is linked to atherosclerosis, a disease that involves clogging and hardening of arteries. If you have a heart condition or elevated homocysteine levels, you should be especially careful with supplementation; be sure to discuss the potential complications with your doctor.
Methionine and Estrogen
Methionine is involved in estrogen balance by promoting removal of excess estrogen from the liver, according to "Medical Nutrition and Disease." As such, methionine may be beneficial if you have an imbalance of estrogen or are suffering from endometriosis, a disease where endometrial tissue from the uterus grows in inappropriate places such as the vagina. However, methionine is not a medically accepted treatment for endometriosis, and you should take it only under the supervision of a physician.
Methionine Deficiency
Methionine deficiency is very unusual under normal conditions because it is widely available in food. However, low levels have been linked to neural tube defects during gestation because it alters the properties of folic acid. Low levels also are associated with depression because methionine is necessary to synthesize some chemicals that impact mood, according to the "Professional Guide to Diseases." Further, methionine deficiency leads to pigmentation loss in hair, lack of energy, skin irritation, swelling, liver damage, loss of muscle mass and retarded growth in kids.
Natural Sources of Methionine
Methionine is widely available in meats, fish and dairy products, and in smaller amounts in whole grains, fermented foods and some fruits and vegetables, according to the "American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide." Methionine is added to soybeans because it is the only amino acid not present in in the legume in significant amounts.
References
- "Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition"; Martha Stipanuk; 2006
- "Human Biochemistry and Disease"; Gerald Litwack; 2008
- "Medical Nutrition and Disease: A Case-based Approach"; Lisa Hark; 2008
- "Professional Guide to Diseases: Ninth Edition"; Springhouse Publishing; 2009
- "American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide"; American Dietetic Association; 2006
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