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Many of our most distinguished researchers in the eld of
nutritional biochemistry still believe that our requirement for amino acids can
always be satised by a diet rich in protein and essential amino acids. This
thesis is incorrect. It is quite clear that many of us suffer amino acid
deciencies. Roger Williams, the man who has probably contributed more to
nutritional sciences than any other living scientist, said, "It should not be
taken for granted, for example, that an individual getting plenty of good
quality protein food is, ipso facto, well supplied with all the needed amino
acids; but, as we have seen, problems involving biochemical individuality in
digestive (or absorptive) enzymes may intervene. Amino acids as such are
available and can be supplied direct." (Nutrition Against Disease)
Addiction, whether to LSD, heroin, coffee, cigarettes or
foods can lead to nutritional deciencies. The chronic use of substances making
unusual demands on the body dramatically increases the need for essential
nutrients. According to an article in the Journal of Orthomolecular
Psychiatry (December 1981), all the chronic addicts tested suffered from
hypoaminoaciduria. It has been clearly documented that in alcohol addiction,
there is a pancreatic insufciency and resulting amino acid decit.
Recently the relationship between simultaneous allergy
and addiction states have become more generally accepted. According to William
Philpott, M.D. and Dwight Kalita, Ph.D., after test exposures to allergenic
substances, the pancreas is one of the rst organs to be affected. One of the
consequences of hypopancreatic function is reduced production of proteases and
the resultant digestive problems and frequent amino acid deciencies. (Brain
Allergies; Keats Publishing, Inc.)
Another consequence of hypopancreatic function is an
insufcient production of bicarbonate buffers; this leading to the further
destruction of proteolytic enzymes in the small intestine which leads to
further amino acid deciencies. One can see that a vicious cycle can be
established; insufcient proteases, would lead to deciencies in amino acids, and
with the limited supply of amino acids for building blocks, protein synthesis
would become compromised, this very possibly exaggerating the protease
deciency.
Elderly people are particularly susceptible to amino acid
deciencies. Usually the caloric needs of the elderly is diminished and yet the
need for the essential nutrients, i.e., vitamins, minerals and amino acids is
the same. Studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
(September 1977) indicate that over one third of men and women over the age of
60 have serum amino acid levels that were either decient or low.
Illness will frequently cause an increased demand for
amino acids. During the disease process, the production of antibodies and the
replacement of diseased tissue all require tremendous protein synthesis. Hence,
extra amino acids. A special communication was published in JAMA (Vol.
244 #23, 1980), outlining the need to compensate for the increased protein
demand during acute illness. "Not to provide such a metabolic support system is
a failure of medicine of the most basic degree." Dr. W. P. Steffee tackles the
question of how nitrogen depletion or malnutrition can occur. During illness
the body also needs extra energy for healing. At this time appetites are poor;
hospital food unappetizing and malnutrition is more common among long term
hospitalized patients. When insufcient caloric consumption occurs, the body
derives extra glucose from the cellular breakdown of amino acids. If extra
amino acids are not available, the body will divert amino acids from the
protein synthesizing pool in order to convert some of the amino acids to
glucose. Disruption of protein synthesis is especially critical during illness,
for the reasons already outlined. The protein from muscles and organs may
ultimately be consumed and this may lead to the kinds of hospital malnutrition
that is so commonly observed. Any major surgery seems to cause at least six
weeks of nitrogen depletion because of protein breakdown due to
gluconeogenesis, unless amino acids are provided in addition to the glucose
electrolytes and water.
The rates of synthesis of serotonin, acetylcholine, and
under certain circumstances, dopamine and norepinephrine by brain neurons
depends to a considerable extent on the availability of the respective dietary
precursors to the brain. This precursor dependence seems to be related to the
fact that the enzyme catalyzing the ratelimiting step in the synthetic
pathway for each transmitter is unsaturated with substrate at normal brain
concentration. The availability rapidly changes after food consumption, and
frequently depends on what is eaten. (Ann. Rev. Med., Vol. 32, 1981) It
is unclear why the evolutionary process should have "allowed" the
neurotransmission mediated by a variety of neurotransmitters to be inuenced by
the vagaries of food choice.
The potential value in manipulating the precursor levels
is signicant. Norepinephine containing neurons are involved in a very large
number of physiological mechanisms, both inside and outside the brain.
Dopaminergic neurons have clearly been implicated in the etiology of
Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and other brain disorders. Possibly the
organism might benet by the use of these uctuations in neurotransmitter levels
as "sensors" providing the brain with information about its metabolic state.
Various research studies indicate that
variations of amino acids in the diet or in supplemental form, can affect
behavior, mood, food consumption, drug and pain tolerance. Another study with
rats indicated that amino acid supplementation can protect the nervous system
and the lives of the animals against the harmful effects of ethanol and
pentobarbital. |
