Getting the appropriate vitamins and minerals is essential for maintaining your health. Amino acids are vital nutrients that provide a number of benefits. While you can get most of your amino acids through foods, you can also get them through supplementation and treatments like IV hydration.

Find out more about amino acids in the guide below.

What Are Amino Acids?

Commonly referred to as the building blocks of proteins, amino acids are compounds that play a vital role in many of your body’s functions. They are necessary for a number of different processes, including building hormones, neurotransmitters, and proteins.

You may be wondering, “How do I get amino acids?” Amino acids are found in a wide variety of protein-rich food sources. These include:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Fish
• Soybeans

If you are a vegetarian, you may need to supplement to get an adequate amount of amino acids in your diet. Many people use oral supplements or injectable treatments to add amino acids to their bodies. When supplemented in proper amounts, amino acids can do everything from balance your mood to improve your athletic performance.

The Benefits of Amino Acids

Amino acids are necessary for your health and wellness because they provide a number of different functions and benefits. The following are just a few of the most consequential processes amino acids are responsible for:

Help Break Down Food

Amino acids play a vital role in your digestion by helping your body break down food. When you consume food, amino acids work with your stomach acids and bacteria in the digestive tract to break down food, encourage nutrient absorption, and move waste through the digestive system.

Grow and Repair Body Tissue

Another important function of amino acids is growing and repairing tissues throughout your body. When muscles, skin, and connective tissues are damaged, amino acids play a part in the repair process. They can also help stimulate new growth or regeneration properties in these tissues, including collagen and elastin.

Produce Hormones and Neurotransmitters

Your body naturally produces chemicals like hormones and neurotransmitters, but this would not be possible without amino acids.

The building block properties of amino acids help create the hormones responsible for many of the functions throughout your body, including epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones play an important role in your stress responses, heart rhythm, and even respiration.

Amino acids also work to create neurotransmitters or brain chemicals. Amino acids like histidine are essential for your immune strength, sleep patterns, and sexual function. Without histidine, you may struggle with insomnia, chronic respiratory infections, or sexual dysfunction.

Provide Energy

An additional effect of amino acids is the production of energy. An amino acid called valine is critical for creating energy within your body. This helps beat feelings of fatigue and lethargy.

Valine also serves as a growth hormone that can facilitate new muscle growth. This makes valine a great hormone to have if you want to enhance or repair your muscle strength.

Maintain Skin and Hair Health

You may know that collagen and elastin are important parts of your skin and hair, but did you know that they are made with amino acids? Amino acids play a huge part in the production of both collagen and elastin.

As you age, these components decrease within your skin, making amino acid intake even more important. When you notice changes like sagging and fine lines in your complexion, you can take amino acid supplements to boost collagen production.

Amino acids can also improve the health of your hair by strengthening the shaft and encouraging new hair growth. Topical products with amino acids or supplements that contain amino acids are both great ways to enhance your head of hair.

Support Digestive Health

One of the biggest impacts of amino acid consumption is an improvement in digestive health. Amino acids play a vital role in your digestion by helping stimulate movement through the digestive tract and helping your body absorb nutrients more efficiently. Amino acids also help convert the food that you eat into the energy you use.

IV Therapy at Vital Flow Infusions

If you want to feel better than ever thanks to nutrients like amino acids, you may benefit from IV hydration. IV drip therapy can provide you with all of the essential vitamins and minerals you need to feel like the best version of yourself.

Vital Flow Infusions offers a wide selection of IV treatments in the Sioux Falls area. We also offer mobile IV therapy that can nourish you in the comfort of your own home. Contact us today to book an appointment or learn more about our IV hydration options.