Ever since I read Julia Ross’s books, The Diet Cure and The Mood Cure, I’ve been fascinated by how amino acids work. Things like vitamins, minerals, and some herbs, get a lot of glory, but amino acids do not. The Amino Revolution by Dr. Robert Erdmann helps fill in that gap.
Original source: here.
There are a lot of things that I really liked about the book:
- Dr. Erdmann takes a holistic approach in The Amino Revolution. He does not simply say “you have this problem, so take this amino acid.” Instead, he analyzes metabolic pathways, to determine the multiple amino acids involved, as well as its vitamin and mineral cofactors.
- That brings me to another point. I like to know not just what works, but why it works. In The Amino Revolution, Dr. Erdmann outlines the metabolic pathways by which different health conditions are caused. He satisfies my curiosity for not just what works, but why and how it works.
- It answers the common questions like “how long should I take it before I see results?” and “what is the dosage that I should use?”
- Lastly, just as importantly as when to take certain amino acids, The Amino Revolution outlines when not to take those amino acids.
Here are some cool lessons I picked up in The Amino Revolution:
- Any given amino acid has several functions, and several different metabolic pathways that it can follow. The body chooses how any given amino acid is used based on perceived requirement. For instance, if your body needs lysine for immune function, neurological function, and digestive function, if you have a cold, it will go preferentially to the immune function. Giving your body additional lysine will prevent the nervous and digestive systems from declining.
- The benefit of taking free-form amino acids is that they don’t require stomach acid or enzymes to break down, since they’re already broken down.
- In The Amino Revolution, it says that the BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids. These consist of leucine, isoleucine and valine) are metabolized by the muscles, as opposed to the liver, like most amino acids.
- Arginine is important for wound healing and tissue regeneration because it increases growth hormone.
- Glutamine affects the brain, giving clarity of thought, mood elevation, and alertness. As well, it helps in the digestion of fats and carbohydrates.
- The fastest effects of amino acids are seen on mood. Whereas it takes days, weeks or months to have an effect on the digestive system, endocrine system, etc., the effects of amino acids on mood are seen in minutes or hours.
- To stimulate growth hormone release (which helps with the sensation of youthfulness, speeds up wound healing, and improves the fat/muscle ratio), during the day, take:
- Before bed, take:
- Ornithine
- Tyrosine
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Ornithine
- Tryptophan
- Glycine
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Eating is frequently done not because of hunger, but to relieve anxiety. You can do the same thing with this combination:
- Tryptophan
- Histidine
- Glycine
- Taurine
- Cofactors: vitamin B1, B2, B6, C, calcium and zinc.
- Phenylalanine helps with weight loss through 3 different mechanisms:
- It stimulates the secretion of CCK (cholecystokinin), which helps reduce appetite.
- It’s a precursor to norepinephrine, which curbs the desire to eat
- It’s a precursor to tyrosine, which helps you maintain your weight after you lose it.
- For depression, DL-phenylalanine is more effective than just L-phenylalanine, because of its dual effects:
- It’s a precursor to noradrenalin (a brain chemical that gives you energy)
- It prevents the degradation of endorphins (natural, pain-blocking hormones)
Mind you, I have 10 pages of notes on this book, so this is just a snippet.
All in all, The Amino Revolution is a great addition to my library.
