Many people enjoy the thick texture and tangy flavor of yogurt, either plain or mixed with granola or fruit. Plain yogurt is full of vitamins, minerals and protein, but it also provides you with amino acids. These compounds are critical for brain function as well as many other body processes. Eat yogurt to boost your amino acid intake.
Aliphatic Amino Acids
The aliphatic amino acids group includes glycine, alanine, valine, leucine and isoleucine. Plain yogurt provides all of these amino acids. A 1-cup serving of this dairy food contains 0.8 g of leucine, 0.4 g of isoleucine, 0.7 g of valine, 0.3 g of alanine and 0.2 g of glycine. The daily recommended intake of these amino acids stands at 55 g of leucine, 25 g of isoleucine and 32 g of valine, the essential amino acids. No recommendation exists for valine, alanine or glycine since they are non-essential.
Aromatic Amino Acids
Tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine are included in the aromatic amino acids group. One serving of plain yogurt provides 0.04 g of tryptophan, 0.4 g of tyrosine and 0.4 g of phenylalanine. Your body requires 7 g of tryptophan and 47 g of tyrosine and phenylalanine, combined. All three of these amino acids are considered essential amino acids, or the type that your body does not manufacture.
Sulphur-containing Amino Acids
The group of amino acids referred to as sulphur-containing amino acids includes cysteine and methionine. One cup of yogurt has 0.07 g of cysteine as well as 0.2 g of methionine; your body requires 25 g of these amino acids. A study published in the January 2005 issue of "Free Radical Research" indicates that cysteine and methionine influence antioxidant activity in the human body.
Hydrophilic Amino Acids
Aspartate, glutamate, lysine, arginine, histidine, serine, threonine, asparagine and glutamine are included in the hydrophillic amino acids group. Lysine, histidine and threonine are the only essential amino acids in this group. You take in 0.7 g of lysine in a cup of yogurt as well as 0.2 g of histidine and 0.3 g of threonine; you require 51 g, 18 g and 27 g, respectively. Of the non-essential amino acids, a cup of yogurt contains 0.6 g of aspartic acid, 1.6 g of glutamic acid, 0.2 g of arginine and 0.5 g of serine.
References
- The Franklin Institute: The Human Brain
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Yogurt, Plain, Whole Milk, 8 Grams Protein Per 8 Ounce
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients
- "Free Radical Research"; Differential Effects of Cysteine and Methionine Residues in the Antioxidant Activity of Human Serum Albumin; E. Bourdon, et al.; January 2005
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