Lysine is an essential amino acid, meaning that it is vital to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. Due to this reason, lysine must be obtained from food or supplements.
In the body, lysine is used to produce acetyl-CoA, a significant molecule used in energy production. Lysine also helps the body absorb and conserve calcium. It plays a crucial role in the formation of collagen, a substance critical for bones and connective tissues including skin, tendon and cartilage. More importantly, lysine helps boost the immune system by aiding the production of antibodies.
If one is deficient in lysine, kidney stones and other health problems can develop. These may include fatigue, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, bloodshot eyes, slow growth, anemia, and reproductive disorders. However, it is extremely rare to obtain an insufficient amount of lysine through one’s diet as it is found in many common foods. Cereal grains contain little lysine but legumes (beans, peas and lentils) provide a plentiful amount. Meat, cheese, eggs, nuts and soybeans are also good sources of lysine. The browning process, or caramelization, in foods like pastries, doughnuts and cookies involves the linking of lysine and sugar. When linked together, it makes lysine difficult for the body to absorb. As a result, a diet high in baked goods that contain a lot of simple sugars may lead to a deficiency in lysine.
The human nutritional requirement of lysine is 1 – 1.5g daily. Regardless of whether your diet has enough or is lacking in lysine, a healthcare practitioner may recommend lysine supplements. These cases are often for the treatment of herpes, shingles or osteoporosis. Certain forms of lysine or lysine-bound anti-inflammatory medications may also be administered to relieve headaches, period pains or pain after surgery.
References(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysine (2)http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/lysine-000312.ht
