Amino Acid References

Tests And Supplement Sources

Polly: To determine your amino acid profile, you can take a blood and/or a 24-hour urine amino acid test. Some aminos are best tested in the blood and others in the urine. The lab will provide an interpretation of the results, and give it to the doctor. The skill of the lab personnel in interpreting the results is quite important. I think they probably know more than most doctors about amino acids. However, I don’ t know which lab is the best at this.

Mrs. Generic: Where can I get one of these tests done?

Lynni: The lab for my blood test was Specialty Laboratories, in Santa Monica, CA. Their website is www.specialty.com and their phone is (310) 828-6543 or (800) 421-7110. This was when I was working with Dr. Jesse Stoff, MD, on my health and it must be the lab he uses.

Polly: Dr. Braverman is a director of PATH medical in Princeton, New Jersey, (609) 466- 4435 and website www.pathmed.com. There is also the well-known Princeton Brain Bio Center in Skillman, New Jersey, (609) 924-8607, which was started by Dr. Carl Pfeiffer, and the Pfeiffer Center in Naperville, Illinois, phone (630) 505- 0300, and website www.hriptc.org. The doctors at these places are very much involved in amino acid testing and therapy, and therefore should be a good choice for both testing and interpretation.

I had my blood tested by Tyson/Aatron Labs, website www.TysonNutraceuticals.com, and phone phone (800) 433-9750 or (310) 675-1272. MetaMetrix in Georgia can do the testing too, phone (800) 221 4640. Great Smokies has recently added these tests, phone 800-522-4762 and website www.gsdl.com. If you are willing to pay for the tests yourself (no insurance), you can order blood and urine amino acid tests without a doctor’ s prescription through HealthyChoice.net. For an additional charge, they will send you information on each of the amino acids that tested low or high in your assay. See www.healthchoice.net/lab/labtest_menu.html or phone (877) 339-2444.

Linda in Virginia: Here is a lab that does the 24- hour urinary amino acid test:

Doctors’ Data 3755 Illinois Ave St. Charles, IL 60174-2420 Phone: 1-800-323-2784

Shelley: Dr. Gersten is a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) doctor who has gained some fame through Roger Mazlens radio program. Check out some transcripts of his appearances at:

http://members.aol.com/rgm1/private/gersten2.htm

http://members.aol.com/rgm1/private/gersten.htm

At his website he describes the role of aminos in CFS and he also gives a general overview of specific aminos: www.aminoacidpower.com P.S. Dr Gerston is many many dollars.

Lynni: There are those that say the blood test doesn’ t mean anything, and you should really look at organic acids in the urine (which are other building blocks of life) but harder to understand and decipher. Then there are doctors and labs that make up custom blends of amino acids from the blood work. There are others that say aminos shouldn’ t be mixed into one capsule together.

Polly: You can purchase unusual/hard to find aminos at JoMar Labs (800) 538-4545 or Progressive Labs (800) 527-9512 or Wilner’ s Chemists (212) 685-2538 or (800) 633-1106. To purchase the amino acid glutamine, try Cambridge Nutraceuticals, phone (800) 265- 2202. They have excellent prices. Tyson also sells amino acids, and various amino acid blends for different purposes. I’ ve heard that there are differences in quality/effectiveness of amino acids from different manufacturers, but I don’ t know which are the best.

references

1. Zaloga, Gary P., MD, Nutrition in Critical Care, Mosby, St. Louis, 1994

2. Cutler, PhD, PE, Andrew Hall. Amalgam Illness: Diagnosis and Treatment , Minerva Laboratories, June 1999. Available at www.amazon.com page 124

3. ibid. Cutler, page 124 for dopamine, and Tomaszewski for acetylcholine; Tomaszewski A, Kleinrok A, Zackiewicz A, et al. Effect of various amino acids on acetylcholine metabolism in brain tissue. Ann Univ Mariae Curie Sklodowska 1982;37:61-70

4. Chaitow, Leon, DO, ND, Amino acids in Therapy, A guide to the Therapeutic Application of Protein Constituents, Healing Arts Press Rochester, Vermont, 1988, page 74

5. Tomaszewski A, Kleinrok A, Zackiewicz A, et al. Effect of various amino acids on acetylcholine metabolism in brain tissue. Ann Univ Mariae Curie Sklodowska 1982;37:61-70

6. “ Compound in vegetables alters estrogen metabolism in Lupus” Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratories Newsletter, March 6, 2002, Volume 15, Number 13 “ Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a chemical compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. This compound has been shown to increase the activity of a detoxifying enzyme (CyP450 1A1) that causes the body to process estrogen into a biologically weaker metabolite.”

7. Peat, Raymond “Aspirin, brain, and cancer” Ray Peat’ s Newsletter, January 2003, states that “Aspirin activates both glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, and this means that it shifts the mitochondria away from the oxidation of fats, toward the oxidation of glucose, resulting in the increased production of carbon dioxide.” page 3

8. Peat, Raymond, “Mitochondria and mortality: Diet, exercise, and medicine, damaging or repairing respiratory metabolism,” Ray Peat’ s Newsletter, July 2000

9. ibid. Braverman page 375

10. Khosh, F, “Naturopathic Approach to Alzheimer’ s Disease,” Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, July 2001

11. Ramsay, Rona R, “ Carnitine and its role in acyl group metabolism,” Essays Biochem 1994, 28:47-71

12. Nakamura J, Miwa T, Sasaki H, Shibasaki J, Kaneto H, “ Effect of straight chain fatty acids on seizures induced by picrotoxin and pentylenetetrazole in mice.” J Pharmacobiodyn 1990 Jan;13(1):76-81

13. Thomas R. Ziegler, MD et al, “ Safety and Metabolic Effects of L-Glutamine Administration in Humans,” Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Volume 14, No.4 and Dr. Eric Braverman’ s chapter on taurine in his book, The Healing Nutrients Within; Facts, Findings and New Research on Amino Acids, Keats Publishing, Inc. 27 Pine Street (Box 876), New Canaan, Connecticut 06840-0876, date 1997.

14. Shabert, Judy, MD, RD, The Ultimate Nutrient Glutamine, the Essential Nonessential Amino Acid, Avery Publishing Group, Garden City Park, New York, 1994

15. Guoyao WU and Morrix, Sidney, Jr., “Arginine metabolism: nitric oxide and beyond,” Biochem. J. 1998, www.biochemj.org/bj3360001.htm

16. www.mercola.com/2000/oct/1/mercury_autism.htm

17. Russell I, Michalek J, Vipraio G, Fletcher E. “ Serum Amino Acids in Fibrositis/Fibromyalgia Syndrome.” Journal of Rheumatology 1989; 16:158-163. And Yunus M, Dailey J, Aldag J, Masi A, Jobe P. “ Plasma Tryphtophan and other Amino Acids in Primary Fibromyalgia: A Controlled Study.” The Journal of Rheumatology 1992; 19:90-94. As referred to at Dr. Flechas’ site, www.fibromyhelp.com.

18. Miller, A, ND, “ The Pathogenesis, Clinical Implications, and Treatment of Intestinal Hyperpermeability” Alt Med Rev 1997:2(5):330-345 www.thorne.com/altmedrev/fulltext/intestine2-5.html

19. Anon. Branched-chain amino acids and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a treatment failure? The Italian ALS Study Group. Neurology 1993; 43(12): 2466-70

20. Braverman, Eric R., MD, The Healing Nutrients Within; Facts, Findings and New Research on Amino Amino Acids 75 Acids, Keats Publishing, Inc. 27 Pine Street (Box 876), New Canaan, Connecticut 06840-0876, date 1997

21. Sloan H, MD, PhD “Biotin Deficiency” eMedicineJournal, http://author.emedicine.com/PED/topic238.htm

22. Franklin R. Leach, “ The Lipoic Acid Activating Enzyme” Oklahoma State University, as found on February 2002 at http://opbs.okstate.edu/~leach/Bioch5853/Administrati ve/%20%20Instructor/Lipoic.acid.research.inter.html also see http://www.chem.uwec.edu/Webpapers2000/Pages/W ebpapers2000/hebbrisj/pages/intro.html