Glutamic acid is an nonessential amino acid.
This type of amino acids can be synthesized in your body from other amino acids, glucose and fatty acids, so you do not necessary have to get them all from dietary sources. Amino acids are used to form proteins.
In the body glutamic acid turns into glutamate and glutamine.
glutamate and glutamine are also amino acids. Glutamate is a nonessential amino acid and has a charge that is negative and glutamine is a conditional amino acid or semi essential amino acid and does not have a charge at all. Conditional amino acid can be synthesized inside body from compounds mentioned but in some conditions like long stressful periods and high intensity sessions, since body needs them in high amount, it should be also consumed from dietary sources to suffice body’s need.
l-glutamic acid fitness and health benefits
L-glutamic acid is Considered to be nature’s Brain food since it aids nerve cells in the brain in sending and receiving signals not only by itself but by converting to glutamine and glutamate. It may also facilitate learning and memory creation. It may help people with deficiency in stomach acid secretion (hypochlorhydria and achlorhydria) by speeding the healing process of ulcers. Helps fight fatigue, help alcohol and drug withdrawal, schizophrenia and the craving for sugar.
Certain plants such as gliadin consists up to half of their weight as glutamic acid which makes things easier for vegans to get enough of this AA.
between amino acids, glutamine is believed to be the most effective in the role of repairing muscles and as mentioned above, L-glutamic acid is the precursor for that which makes it an important food and supplement for athletes
It also helps with liver and kidney recovery which can be beneficial whether you are bulking and putting a lot of pressure on your digestive system or cutting and stressing your body. Even if you are not in a calorie deficit or surplus and are in homeostasis, the stress of training can wreak havoc on your body rest and digest system.
Although high amount of glutamic acid intake is rare(up to 3 grams daily has been shown to be safe), excessive amounts may cause abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, diarrhea and even neuronal damage associated in diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, lathyrism, and Alzheimer’s disease.
foods high in glutamic acid
Green tea(7,680 mg), soy(5,800 mg), oatmeal(633 mg) ,Legumes like lentils, beans or peas(995 mg), fish(2550 mg), Spirulina(9,980 mg)
Research is still ongoing on L-glutamic acid and its derivatives and there are still lots of unproven claims and unknown mysteries about this substance.