Amino acids are the main building blocks of proteins in the human body. They play an important part in muscle development. One of these is threonine.
Threonine is an essential amino acid that helps maintain protein balance in the body.
Essential amino acids are those amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the body. As such, the only way to obtain them is through food.
For adults there are 8 essential amino acids - isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. For children, besides these 8 there are an additional 2 - arginine and histidine.
Threonine is used in the central nervous system, heart, skeletal muscles. It has lipotropic effects and controls fatty deposits in the liver.
Threonine plays a role in building elastin, tooth enamel, collagen, as well as in the synthesis of other important amino acids such as serine and glycine. They play a very important role in various physiological functions.
Benefits of Threonine
Threonine maintains many and different kinds of functions in the human body. It helps the proper metabolic breakdown of fats in the liver, which is especially important for regulating processes in the body.
Threonine is useful in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It's been proven to relieve symptoms in diseases such as multiple sclerosis - another disease affecting the muscles and nerves.
Some studies link additional intake of food supplements with threonine with achieving effective control over epilepsy. Threonine is a widely used immunostimulant, enhancing function and activity of the thymus gland.
Threonine stimulates the immune system by producing antibodies. It's also effective in treating certain types of depression.
Sources of Threonine
The largest quantities of threonine are found in fish, dairy products, bananas, carrots, eggs. Other not-so-rich sources are nuts, wheat germ, vegetables, seeds, beans.
Males need 7 mg per 2 lb (1 kg) of body mass daily. Most people get adequate amounts of threonine through the food they eat.
Deficiency of Threonine
Deficiency of threonine in the body hinders the normal functioning of a number of protein structures in it. This deficiency is expressed in the form of a quicker onset of fatigue and overall physical exhaustion.
Due to the wide abundance of foods which make threonine available, deficiency of it is quite a rare occurrence. Still it is not unheard of to see it in some vegans or people with very strict and imbalanced diets.
Dangers of Threonine
Threonine can be taken in the form of food supplements but the recommended dose needs to be strictly followed because overdose of this amino acid can disrupt liver functions and cause accumulation of toxic ammonia in the body.
Because of this experts strongly encourage amino acids to only be taken after consultation with a doctor and always by following the recommended dosage, otherwise a number of undesirable complications may occur.
