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An idea that has been floating around is that the sanguinarian condition
is due to an imbalance in amino acids in the body. All well and good,
and actually does have possibilities, but most in the community are
not very familiar with the concept of amino acids and what they do.
Amino acids serve in many functions in the body: building blocks of
protein, transport signals in the nervous system, bases for making the
bodies energy, and even in making hormones. I am not going to go into
the chemistry of amino acids (since that in itself is a three credit
course!) but just say that all amino acids can be basic (negative charge)
or acidic (positive charge) and that can effect what they do in the
body.
There are 28 amino acids used in various functions, of these, in a
normal body, only eight are "essential". Amino acids are divided into
two general groups: essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids
have to be eaten through the diet because the body has no way to make
them. Non-essential amino acids can be made by the body in one way or
another. There are several diseases, however, where the body is unable
to manufacture one or more amino acids or has not injested sufficient
amounts of a required amino acids. Depending on the amino acid, the
symptoms vary... if it was an amino acid that was a part of nerve signaling,
the person may experience tetnus (locking) or the muscle, or inability
to move a muscle, if neurological (of the brain) the person's thoughts
may become difficult, or fall into a coma. etc. etc. Because there are
so many different symptoms of an amino acid imbalance, it is possible
that this could be the cause of the "symptoms" a sanguinarian experiences
and why injesting blood works! Since the need for amino acids, especially
the essential amino acids decreases with age, it may also explain the
decrease in Thirst with age that a Sanguin experiences.
All the information below was found in The Healing Nutrients
Within (Eric R. Braverman, M.D.). Included is the name of the
amino acid, where it typically functions, required amounts, blood concentrations
in the typical person, and symptoms of imbalance. Again, as with all
other medically related things on these pages, if you think this is
a possibility, your doctor alone can run the tests for the imbalances.
All blood levels are for adults only and in umoles/100ml.
~Sarasvati
ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
Have to be ingested through the diet because the body has no way
to make them.
- Cystine (sis-TEEN)
Mostly protien formation, possibly works to break down body toxins as
well.
- Disease: Mostly rare genetic diseases.
- Blood levels: Male: 3-9, Female: 3-9
- Requirement: Unknown
- Foods with highest concentrations: Duck
- Isoleucine (eye-sew-LOU-seen)
Similar to both Valine and Leucine
- Disease: Muscle tremors
- Blood levels: Male: 6-16, Female: 5-14
- Requirement: 16 mg/kg
- Foods with highest concentrations: Wild game
- Leucine (LOU-seen)
Stimulates muscle protien synthesis and insulin release
- Disease: Pellagra psychosis
- Blood levels: Male: 11-23, Female: 8-19
- Requirement: 14 mg/kg
- Foods with highest concentrations: Wild game
- Lysine (LIE-seen)
Possible immune effects, important in muscle production
- Disease: Growth depression
- Blood levels: Male: 14-34, Female: 12-31
- Requirement: 12 mg/kg
- Foods with highest concentrations: Pork
- Methionine (meth-EYE-o-neen)
Essential for protien synthesis.
- Disease: Folate dissorders and depression.
- Blood levels: 1-4
- Requirement: 10 mg/kg of body weight per day (this in actually
methionine and cystine)
- Foods with highest concentrations: Sunflower seeds
- Phenylalanine (fehn-ill-AL-ah-neen)
Precursor for tyrosine, functions in pain suppression and brain function.
- Disease: Phenoketoneuria
- Blood levels: Male: 4-12, Female: 4-9
- Requirement: 16 mg/kg of body weight per day (this in actually
phenylalanine and tyrosine)
- Foods with highest concentrations: Meat and dairy products
(high protien foods)
- Taurine (TAW-reen)
Essential amino acid for infants. Serves in brain protection and normal
functioning of heart, gallbladder, eyes, and vascular system.
- Disease: Mostly related to malfunction of organs it serves.
- Blood levels: Male: ?, Female: ?
- Requirement: Unknown
- Foods with highest concentrations: Meat and fish
- Threonine (three-OH-neen)
Can be converted into glycine, serine, and glucose (sugar), may play
role in immunity
- Disease: Neurological problems
- Blood levels: Male: 9-22, Female: 8-25
- Requirement: 8 mg/kg of body weight per day
- Foods with highest concentrations: Meat and cheese
- Tryptophan (tript-OH-fan)
Brain function, seritonin activation (sleep hormone).
- Diseases: Hartnup's disease, Carcinoid Syndromeand Pellagra.
- Blood levels: Male: 4-8, Female: 4-8
- Requirement: 3 mg/kg of body weight per day (this in actually
phenylalanine and tyrosine)
- Foods with highest concentrations: Turkey, Ham, beef, salted
anchovies, eggs, almonds, Parmesian and Swiss cheese
- Valine (VAHL-een)
Metabolized to energy with glucose
- Disease: distinct neurological problems
- Blood levels: Male: 16-42, Female: 14-38
- Requirement: 12 mg/kg
- Foods with highest concentrations: Wild game
SEMI-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
The body can synthesize some, but not enough for proper functioning.
- Histidine (HISS-teh-deen)
Important in anti-inflamitory (swelling) responses
- Disease: Drug-resistant seizures,
low levels can confirm of heptitis with other symptoms
- Blood levels: Male: 6-9, Female:
3-11
- Requirement: 20 mg/kg
- Foods with highest concentrations: Pork
NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
Can be made by the body in one way or another.
- Alanine (al-AH-neen)
Important in DNA replication and synthesis (copying and creating)
- Disease: Drug-resistant seizures, low levels can confirm
of heptitis with other symptoms
- Blood levels: Male: 26-55, Female: 29-51
- Requirement: Made from breakdown of other amino acids and
DNA break-down
- Foods with highest concentrations: fowl meat (low in livers)
- Arginine (Are-JEH-neen)
Is essential for birds and cats, is important for growth, estrogen production,and
control of blood sugar through insulin, also important for urea production
from ammonia by the kidneys
- Disease: Neonatal Retardation
- Blood levels: Male: 7-16, Female: 5-14
- Requirement: Unknown
- Foods with highest concentrations: Meat, nuts, eggs, milk
and cheese
- Asparagine (asp-PARA-jean)
Serves to excite nerves (trigger), works in brain energy metabolism
- Disease: Immune problems
- Blood levels: Male: 6-11, Female: 7-10
- Requirement: None, easily synthesized from glutamine
- Foods with highest concentrations: Cheese and meats
- Carnitine (carn-EH-teen)
Important in providing energy to tissues, especially the heart
- Disease: Drug-resistant seizures, low levels can confirm
of heptitis with other symptoms
- Blood levels: Unknown
- Requirement: Made from breakdown of lysine
- Foods with highest concentrations: Animal hearts
- Glutamine (gloot-AH-mean)
Major part of brain signals, is part of "MSG"
- Disease: Infant seizures
- Blood levels: Male: 45-105, Female: 40-90
- Requirement: None, easily made from other amino acids
- Foods with highest concentrations: Ham and Wild Game
- Glycine (GLIE-seen)
Inhibitor of nerves, important to light perception of the eye, possibly
important to wound healing
- Disease: Young illness, retardation
- Blood levels: Male: 15-41, Female: 18-45
- Requirement: 3-5g/kg body weight, easily made from other
amino acids, is the simplest amino acid
- Foods with highest concentrations: Wheat germ, fowl meat
- Ornithine (orn-EH-theen)
Functions as precurser to Arginine, important
for tissue growth
- Disease: Rare, possibly insomnia
due to decreased melatonin production
- Blood levels: Male: 5-14, Female:
5-12
- Requirement: Unknown
- Foods with highest concentrations: Unknown
- Proline (PRO-lean)
Stored in collegen (stuff holding body together)
- Disease: Hypercalcemia (high blood
calcium levels), fatty stools, splenomegaly
- Blood levels: Male: 13-40, Female:
10-36
- Requirement: None, easily synthesized
- Foods with highest concentrations: High
amounts in processed meats (deli meats)
- Serine (SEHR-een)
Cell membrane function, precursor to porphyrians
and hemoglobin, can be used to produce energy
- Disease: Hypertension (high blood
pressure), convulsions
- Blood levels: Male: 10-21, Female:
10-20
- Requirement: Easily made from other
amino acids
- Foods with highest concentrations: Pork
and game
- Tyrosine (tie-ROW-seen)
Brain function, synthesis of signling compounds in the body, possibly
some thyroid function.
- Disease: Has been suggested an imbalance in tyrosine causes
schizophrenia due to tyrosine being a precursor to dopamine, a brain
hormone. Possibly also involved in Parkinson's disease for this
reason.
- Blood levels: Male: 4-6, Female: 2-9
- Requirement: 16 mg/kg of body weight per day (this in actually
phenylalanine and tyrosine)
- Foods with highest concentrations: Meat products (high
protien foods)
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