Some information about the Amino Acids? Plus, the Benefits for Skin, Hair & Nails

Behind water, the next largest component in our bodies is protein. Protein is only produced when there are sufficient amino acids present. Amino acids are what many experts have deemed the “building blocks” of the body. To be the building blocks of anything is a powerfully fundamental gig, and amino acids are just that—powerful and fundamental.

They play a crucial role in our body’s metabolic processes as they relate to growth, repair, transportation, storage and functionality. Amino acids directly affect a multitude of elements, including our muscles, organs, digestion, blood and brain activity—just to name a few!

Because these acids are so vital and complex, we caught up with expert, Christie Marino, certified health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Level 2 CrossFit trainer, to break down amino acids for us.

3 Types of Amino Acids 

There are 20 amino acids that form protein in our bodies and they are split into three categories: essential, nonessential and conditional. According to Marino, amino acids are responsible for pretty much every chemical reaction in our bodies.

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1. Essential Amino Acids 

The acids that must come from our diet. There are nine essential amino acids and they are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.

2. Nonessential Amino Acids

Acids produced by our bodies, including alanine, asparagine, aspartate and glutamine.

3. Conditional Amino Acids

Those that can usually be produced by the body except under specific health-related circumstances (such as auto-immune deficiencies, stress, young/old age) and they include arginine, cystine, tyrosine, glycine, ornithine, proline and serine.