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How Many Amino Acids Does It Take to Make a Protein? And How Many are Essential?
Have you heard conflicting information about how many amino acids are used to build protein?
And how many are “essential” vs. "non-essential? Have you even heard the 3rd category, conditionally essential? Do you know the difference between EAAs and BCAAs?
One can get pretty confused trying to research this online. The simple truth is there are 22 amino acids used to build body protein and 8 of them must be obtained from nutrition as the body cannot make them on its own.
Read on for more…
Understanding Amino Acids
You’ve probably heard since you were a child that protein is needed to build muscle and have a well-functioning body.
You might have also heard that amino acids are the building blocks that your body needs to create protein and muscles.
That is all true. But there’s much more to the story.
Amino acids are simple organic compounds that your body needs to operate. Among other functions, amino acids are used by your body to:
Build protein
Create hormones
Produce the substances your body needs for cell to cell communication
Control and support your immune system
In other words, amino acids aren’t just for gym junkies and athletes – they’re for everyone.
Types of Amino Acids
There’s a lot of conflicting information floating around about amino acids, so here we’re going to clear it up once and for all.
There are 22 basic amino acids used by the human body, classified in three ways:
“Non-essential” amino acids:
There are twelve amino acids that your body can produce on its own, thereby making them “non-essential” parts of your diet:
Alanine
Asparagine
Aspartic
Cysteine
Glutamine
Glutamic acid
Glycine
Proline
Serine
Tyrosine
Asparagine/aspartic acid
Glutamine/glutamic acid
“Essential” amino acids (EAAs):
These eight are the most important amino acids and are the “essential amino acids” or EAAs. They are essential because your body simply cannot produce them – they are only available from food or supplements. The eight essential amino acids are:
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Each of the eight essential amino acids plays a critical role in the overall health of your body. The creation of protein, production of collagen for your skin, hormones – you name it – they all rely on having each EAA available in the right quantity.
“Conditionally essential” amino acids:
These final two amino acids can be produced by the body in limited quantities if you have enough of the EAAs, which is why they’re classified as “conditionally essential”. Understanding this is vital, as people who are very sick or experiencing extreme stress may need to take supplements or adjust their diet to include these two amino acids. They are:
Arginine
Histidine
What about BCAAs?
You’re probably wondering “What about all the BCAA supplements I see on the internet and in my local health store?” What are they?
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (or BCAAs for short) are a chain of three of the EAAs: Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.
BCAA supplements have been said to help build muscle mass, increase strength, boost your stamina, and help your muscles recover after a workout. Sounds ideal, right?
Unfortunately, not really. BCAA supplements come with a downside: because they only have three of the eight EAAs, and high doses of these supplements can lead to an imbalance in your amino acids – with pretty severe adverse effects.
It takes the right combination of all eight essential amino acids to make a protein – the three BCAAs can’t do the job on their own.
The Health Benefits of Properly Balanced Amino Acids
Regular consumption of protein-rich food and supplements that contain healthy amounts of the eight EAAs is crucial for a well-functioning and healthy body.
A diet with the right proportions of the essential amino acids can provide many benefits, including:
Greater strength and endurance
Improved muscle growth
Quicker recovery after a workout
Reduced soreness and muscle pain
Less mental fatigue
Enhanced immune system responses
Better skin
Sound good? We thought so too.
A quick and easy way to supplement your diet with perfectly balanced EAAs is BodyHealth’s PerfectAmino tablets or powder, formulated for 99% utilization in the body.
Whether you get your EAAs through a diet rich in protein or through supplements, remember – you need all eight EAAs to optimize your health.
Dr. David Minkoff
Dr. Minkoff graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1974 and was elected to the “Phi Beta Kappa” of medical schools, the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Medical Fraternity for very high academic achievement. He then worked as an attending physician in infectious disease, co-directed a neo-natal intensive care unit and worked in emergency medicine until 1995.
In 1997, his interest in alternative and complementary medicine led him to open LifeWorks Wellness Center, which has become one of the foremost alternative medicine clinics in the U.S. His search to find a source of the highest quality nutritional supplements led him to establish BodyHealth in 2000, a resource that could provide doctors with the best possible supplementation and education for their patients. Today, the BodyHealth products are used by hundreds of practitioners and individual consumers who seek all-natural wellness and detoxification supplements with a demonstrated high level of quality and effectiveness.
In addition to their use by patients looking to heal disease, the BodyHealth products are also used by sports enthusiasts interested in achieving and maintaining optimal performance. As a 42-time Ironman triathlon finisher, (including 8 appearances at the Ironman World Championships) Dr. Minkoff has first-hand experience to help athletes achieve optimum conditioning. His expertise in protein synthesis, detoxification, and nutrition allow them to run, swim, and bike faster and longer.
Today, Dr. Minkoff is an alternative healthcare expert, guest lecturer, writer, tv and radio show guest. He also authors two weekly newsletters, the BodyHealth Fitness Newsletter and the Optimum Health Report.
by Dr. David MinkoffOctober 26, 20205 min read0 Comments
Imagine yourself in a group of 100 people – roughly half of the number that will fit in the average movie theater. Now consider this: Roughly 15 of those people are actively suffering from a B12 deficiency. They are tired, weak, predisposed to illness, suffer from memory loss and nerve dysfunction. Some experience fairly severe symptoms, while others are gradually feeling worse – usually without even realizing it!
And no – this is not a joke or an exaggeration. According to the National Institute of Health, up to 15% of people are deficient in B12, which makes it one of the most common nutritional deficiencies.
With this in mind, we believe it is important that everyone becomes educated on this critical nutrient: What it is, what it does for your body, where to get it, how to avoid a deficiency, and then finally, the BEST ways to reap the benefits of having optimal B12 levels.
by Dr. David MinkoffOctober 22, 20208 min read0 Comments
Over the last 50 years, “fat” has become a bad word.
Foods are marketed as “low fat” and “fat-free” based on the idea that dietary fats are bad for your heart and are linked to weight gain.
Fortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth, according to modern scientific research by experts in the health field.
Dietary fats, in their pure, unadulterated forms, are exceptionally healthy – especially when consumed in proper ratios. They are involved in many important bioactive functions, let's review these...
by Josh TaylorOctober 22, 20205 min read0 Comments
Have you thought about addingAncient Superfoods to your diet, like those found in 100% Grass-Fed Glandular Organs?
When you go to your local grocery store to buy meat, you usually pick out some steaks, chicken breasts, ground beef, or another tasty meat – right? You buy them for the protein content, heme iron, B12, and most importantly, the delicious flavor of a juicy steak.
Here is the scientific truth: The liver, heart, pancreas, kidneys, and spleen are all jam-packed with vital nutrients that can help supercharge your energy levels, digestion, and overall health – not to mention that they provide a high concentration of protein… but who wants to eat them?
Signup for the BodyHealth Newsletter and get a FREE digital copy of "The Search for the Perfect Protien" by Dr. David Minkoff and discover the key to weight loss, depression, fatigue, insomnia, and osteoporosis!
