Properties of Amla or Indian Gooseberry

- Amla is the most abundant source of Vitamin C.
- Amla is a natural antioxidant.
- Amla also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, amino acids, tannin, phosphorus, polyphenolic compounds, fixed oil, lipids and other essential oils.
- Amla root bark is an astringent.
- The fruits are sour, astringent, cooling, ophthalmic, carminative, digestive, laxative, aphrodisiac, diuretic and antipyretic in nature.
- Amla is an effective cerebral, heart and gastrointestinal tonic.

Health Benefits of Amla or Indian Gooseberry

- It enriches hair growth and hair pigmentation.
- Taking Gooseberry juice with honey is good for improving eyesight.
- Amla strengthens heart muscles.
- Amla is a fruit that enhances food absorption and thus helps you get the most out of the food you eat. It helps in digestion.
- Amla also helps boost protein metabolism, so if you exercise and work out regularly you will benefit greatly from regular amla intake.
- Amla helps strengthen the liver, and rid the body of these toxins
- Amla purifies blood.
- Amla is useful in controlling blood sugar.
- Amla power improves immunity.
- Amla increases red blood cell production.
- Amla helps in the treatment of constipation, anemia, fever, indigestion, insomnia, liver disorder, respiratory problems, sun burns, sun strokes, urinary problems.
- Amla due to its antioxidant property, helps in scavenging the free radicals from the blood along with lowering the oxidation rate of the bad LDL cholesterol.
- Amla is a cool fruit and is used to treat sunstrokes.
- Amla is helpful in conditions like inflammation, degenerative renal disease, cancer and diabetes.
- Amla helps in controlling blood pressure.
- Amla treats white spots on the nails.

Proline is a non essential amino acid is one of the main components of collagen, the cementing substance that binds and supports the cells. Its effectiveness is enhanced when combined with vitamin C.

Taurine is a non essential amino acid that is manufactured in the body and is present in animal protein. Its synthesis occurs in the human body with the help of amino acids methionine, cysteine, and vitamin B6. Women seem to require a higher dietary intake of taurine since the female hormone estradiol suppresses the formation of taurine in the liver. It plays a role as a neurotransmitter. It also maintains the correct composition of bile and the solubility of cholesterol. Taurine also protects the heart muscle when there is calcium and potassium loss from the body. Heart disorders, physical or emotional stress, metabolic disorders, high alcohol consumption and zinc deficiency are factors that result in high levels of taurine being excreted in the urine.

Tyrosine is a non essential amino acid and is popularly called the anti-stress amino acid. It is derived from phenylalanine, an essential amino acid. It is an essential component of the thyroid hormone. Tyrosine provides raw material from which the body makes the hormones thyroxine and adrenaline. The pigment of the skin and hair, melanin is also derived from tyrosine. Deficiency of tyrosine can lead to low body temperature, low blood pressure and a restless feeling in the legs. It is also beneficial in the treatment of depression. The main sources are rice, leafy vegetables, curd, cheese and milk.

Glutamine and Glutamic Acid
Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid. Glutamine is synthesized in certain tissues for use in others. Glutamic acid can be synthesized from a number of amino acids. Glutamine along with glucose, is a fuel for the brain cells. The second function of glutamine is to act as a detoxifier of ammonia from the brain. As it picks up ammonia, glutamic acid is reconverted to its original form of glutamine. It also plays an important role in the metabolism of ammonia. It plays a protective role in the body’s relationship with alcohol.
Glutamine deficiencies result in brain damage or dullness of brain due to excess ammonia.

Glutathione
It is a naturally occurring tripeptide consisting of three amino acids – cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. It is of great use in the prevention and treatment of many de-generative diseases. It accomplishes this by preventing and slowing down the activity of free radicals which suppress the body’s natural immunity and hasten the ageing process. Liver damage caused by excessive intake of alcohol is also prevented by glutathione.

Glycine
It is another non essential amino acid which is a major constituent of the liver-detoxifying compound glutathione, along with cysteine and glutamic acid. It has been found in research that
glycine enhances the secretion of acid in the stomach.

- Alanine helps to build proteins.
- Alanine helps to maintain and regulate blood sugar levels.
- Alanine strengthens the immune system by producing antibodies.
- Alanine produces energy by stimulating glucagon secretions from the pancreas.
- Alanine plays a role in supporting prostate health since alanine is present in prostate fluid.
- Alanine plays an important role in supplying nitrogen from peripheral tissue to liver.
- Alanine guards the body against toxic substances that are released in muscle cells when muscle protein breaks.

Excellent sources of alanine are:
- Alanine can also be manufactured from branched chain amino acids such as valine, leucine, and isoleucine.
- meat
- poultry
- fish
- eggs
- dairy products
- beans
- nuts
Deficiency of alanine is not known since it is produced in the body itself. It can occur in people whose diet is highly deficient in protein.
People with liver and kidney problems should not have very high intake of alanine.

B-ALANINE

- Valine is an essential amino acid.
- Valine is not produced by the body so it has to be given through dietary sources.
- Valine is the member of branched chain family of amino acid.
- Valine is hydrophobic.
- Valine is needed for proper performance of the nervous system.
- Valine intake prevents nervous and digestive disorders.
- Valine encourages normal growth, tissue repair and maintaining blood sugar.
- Valine help to prevent loss of muscle tissue in patients with diabetes.
- Valine helps to prevent loss of muscle tissue in patients with diabetes.
- Valine may help treat malnutrition associated with drug addiction.
- Valine is also helpful in synthesis of glucose in liver especially during anaerobic activities.
- Valine helps to maintain nitrogen balance in body.
- Valine helps in treating liver and gallbladder disease.

DIETARY SOURCES OF VALINE

The main food sources of valine are :
- Leafy vegetables
- Finger millet
- Rice and other cereals
- Kidney beans
- Legumes and pulses
- Piyal seeds
- Pistachio
- Cashew nuts
- Peaches
- Poultry
- Cottage cheese

IMPORTANT NOTE

- The lack of valine makes a person sensitive to touch and sound.
- An excess of valine can give rise to hallucinations and a interrupt liver function.

Valine intake as a part of the amino acid combination of phenylalanine-valine-methionine-tryptophan in the ratio of 3:2:2:1, taken in 4g doses prior to meals, results in decreased food intake in 50 percent of obese women.

- Histidine is essential for growth and repair of human tissues.
- Histidine is necessary for the conversion of glucose into glycogen in the liver.
- Histidine converted into histamine stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

Histidine is found in :
- Fruits such as bananas and grapes.
- Meat and poultry.
- Milk and milk products.
- Root vegetables and all green vegetables but in lesser quantities.

A deficiency of histidine can cause :
- Pain in the bony joints.
- Low urine concentration of histidine has been reported to accompany rheumatoid arthritis.

HEALING PROPERTIES
Taken orally, histidine is likely to depress the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Histidine helps to dilate the blood vessels and has therefore, been found beneficial in the treatment of cardio-circulatory disorders. The release of histidine from body stores is considered a prerequisite for sexual arousal. Hence, histidine supplementation may prove helpful in this regard.
Histidine has also been found to be beneficial in allergic conditions, in the treatment of anemia , and disorders of the auditory nerve.

PRECAUTION:
Taken orally, histidine has a tendency to stimulate hydrochloric acid secretion in the stomach. Thus, persons who already suffer from over-abundance of acid in the stomach and those who have ulcers should avoid taking pure histidine.

Leucine is an essential amino acid that boosts energy levels and along with isoleucine and valine plays an important role in energy production in the body. Leucine regulates protein metabolism in the body. The availability of leucine is especially important in controlling the net synthesis of protein. The major sources of leucine are :
- Whole grains
- Milk and milk products
- Eggs
- Pork
- Beef
- Chicken
- Pulses
- Soya Beans
- Leafy vegetables
Therapeutically, leucine as well as isoleucine and valine can be used as a means of minimising protein loss in patients undergoing surgery.

CAUTION : It has been found that dietary excess of leucine may be a precipitating factor in developing pellagra.

ISOLEUCINE – STIMULATES ESSENTIAL HORMONES

Isoleucine is an essential amino acids i.e. it is not formed in the body and hence, must be present in the diet. Along with leucine and valine, it is important in human metabolism as an energy yielding source.
Isoleucine is essential for the production and maintenance of body proteins. It also regulates metabolism and the functioning of the thymus gland in the neck, spleen, and pituitary glands. It is useful in the formation of hemoglobin.
The rich sources of isoleucine are :
- Eggs
- Chicken
- Pork
- Mutton
- Pulses
- Soya Beans
- Cottage cheese
- Milk
- Piyal seeds
- Cashew Nuts
- Cereal grains

Isoleucine is one of a group of amino acids found deficient in persons who are ill. The recommended therapeutic dose of this amino acid is between 240mg and 360mg daily. Hence this must be given in combination with the other amino acids that are found lacking.

Phenylalanine is effective for weight control because of its effect on thyroid selection. It also plays an important role in the control of appetite. If taken before meals, it suppresses the appetite substantially. This amino acid is also essential for the efficient functioning of the kidneys and the bladder.

Phenylalanine is found in abundance in:
- curd
- milk
- cottage cheese
- pulses and legumes
- poultry
- piyal seeds
- groundnuts
- pistachio nuts
- almonds
- leafy vegetables
- whole grains

Deficiency of phenylalanine can lead to a variety of symptoms including:
- bloodshot eyes.
- cataract.
- several behavioral changes such as psychotic and schizophrenic behavior.

Phenylalanine has many therapeutic uses like:
- It is considered beneficial in the treatment of obesity and is being successfully employed as an appetite suppressant for this condition.
- In the intestinal tract, the amino acids tryptophan and phenylalanine trigger the release of cholycystokinin which induces satiety, and a termination of eating.
- An intake of half a teaspoon of phenylalanine powder 30 minutes before each meal can lead to a loss of as much as 100 to 200g of weight a day.
- Positive effects noticed after 24-48 hours of taking phenylalanine are a feeling of greater alertness, an increase in sexual interest, memory enhancement.
- It also diminishes depressant feelings.

CAUTION: Caution should be observed in the use of phenylalanine in hypertensive individuals. Low doses of around 100mg daily should be taken by anyone with suspected high blood pressure, and a check should be kept on pressure levels.