Everyone wants a better immune system. Whether you suffer from an immune compromising disorder or just have a lot of stress in your life, keeping your immune system healthy is an important part of leading a long, active life. We have all heard for years that vitamin C is a power house immune system booster. Omega 3, Echinacea, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc and other compounds have also been praised for their ability to help us ward off colds and diseases and generally improve our immune systems. But in recent years a new supplement has begun to appear on health food store shelves, and many are touting this relative newcomer as a great way to boost your immune health. The supplement is Arginine akg. And it seems to be true; you can super power your immune system with Arginine supplementation.
What is Arginine?
Arginine is a free amino acid that works in the human body to support the immune system, among other things. While the human body is able to synthesize its own Arginine, during times of stress it seems that the body is unable to synthesize sufficient Arginine (Nieves & Langkamp-Henken, 2002). Thus, some people who want to boost their immune system have been known to take Arginine akg on a regular basis.
Immune System Issues
There is plenty of scientific proof that Arginine is a potential immune system booster.
Studies have shown that many cancer patients have very low amounts of arginine in their blood (Popovic et al, 2007). Some researchers suggest that this may be because certain suppressor cells which are created during times of trauma might deplete the body of Arginine, further depleting the immune system (Popovic et al, 2007). Trauma such as accident or injury, the presence of cancer or cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, or even extreme physical and emotional stress could increase these suppressor cells, leading to low levels of Arginine. T-cells, the amazingly important cells in our blood that actually attack pathogens within us, have been shown to function less effectively in an Arginine deficient environment (Popovic et al, 2007).
These facts suggest that taking an Arginine akg supplement could potentially enhance immune function in a variety of people, including those will illness and diseases, those with specific immune system disorders, and even those who regularly put their body under stress (athletes, body builders, and such) and those under emotional stress.
A Potential Solution
There is significant evidence that taking a dietary supplement that includes Arginine can enhance the immune system of human adults (Stechmiller et al, 2004); human and animal testing have demonstrated this (Stechmiller et al, 2004). Studies have shown that Arginine taken in through diet, supplement or infusion can have a positive effect on t-cells and the thymus gland (Stechmiller et al, 2004), which processes disease fighting white blood cells. In fact, people who received Arginine supplements had a significant improvement in t-cell reproduction within just days, and the improvement lasted weeks after they stopped taking the supplements (Stechmiller et al, 2004).
So what does this all mean for you? It means that you may be able to increase your immune system power with Arginine akg. You can up your Arginine intake with a variety of foods ranging from crustaceans to sesame seeds, soy to turkey. Or, you can take an Arginine bulk supplement to be certain you are helping your immune system to the highest possible degree.
Joseph Green is editor-in-chief and owner at NutraBulk. NutraBulk specializes in best high quality of bulk supplements for the benefit of everyone’s health. He is also very passionate about researching and writing on various health issues.
References:
Nieves, C. & Langkamp-Henken, B. (2002). Arginine and immunity: a unique perspective. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 56(10): 471-478. Abstract retrieved from, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12504268
Popovic et al. (2007). Arginine and immunity. American Society for Nutrition. Abstract retrieved from, http://jn.nutrition.org/content/137/6/1681S.abstract
Miller, J.K. et al. (2004). Arginine immunonutrition in critically ill patients: A clinical dilemma. American Journal of Critical Care, 13(1). Retrieved from, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/468788_3
