L-Arginine: Side Effects and Benefits

First isolated by Swiss Chemist, Ernst Schultze, in 1886, from a lupin seed extraction, l-arginine is now known to be an essential amino acid required by the body, playing an important role in multiple body functions.

It primarily acts as a vasodilator (a chemical that causes widening of arteries and blood vessels), aids in the production of creatine (a chemical that aids energy supply in the body) and has been discovered to possess many other properties that have made scientists brand it as a 'Miracle Molecule'.

Termed as a non-essential amino acid, due to human body's ability to produce it on its own, it's still a dietary supplement used as a cure for many diseases and ailments including high blood pressure, dementia, chest pain, congestive heart failure, erectile dysfunction and intermittent claudication.

If you have been recommended with l-arginine dosage, it's essential that you consider the side effects and benefits of using it.

L-arginine is an alpha amino acid. Amino acids are organic molecules that have the general molecular structure of H₂N-CH-R-COOH. Thus their characteristic feature is that they always have an amine (NH₂), a carboxyl (COOH) and another carbon chain component called 'R' attached to them.

It is an alpha amino acid because all these groups are attached to the first carbon atom in the chain.

The molecular formula of arginine is C₆H₁₄N₄O₂. Its IUPAC nomenclature name is 2-amino-5-(diaminomethylidene-amino) pentanoic acid. The 'L' prefix indicates that arginine molecule is chiral in character which means that it does not coincide with its mirror image. Therefore L-arginine differs in structure and function from its mirror image.

It is one of the 20 most naturally occurring amino acids, which are the building blocks of various complex proteins in the body.

It's important for the human body as it plays an important role in various body processes. Adults can produce it in their bodies but children in their early development stages cannot. Therefore children need external input of L-arginine as it is important for their early growth.

A healthy human body can produce its own stock of L-arginine according to need. Therefore in normal circumstances adults do not need external arginine supplement. However in cases of malnutrition or imbalanced diet or diseased condition, consuming arginine-rich foods may be necessary.

The dietary sources that can supply L-arginine are plenty. Almost all animal derived products like milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, ricotta and whey protein drinks are rich with its supply. Most sea foods, beef and pork are also good sources.

If you are a vegetarian and need L-arginine supplements, there are many rich plant sources like oatmeal, wheat germ, wheat flour, granola, all kinds of nuts, soybean and chickpeas.

There are many benefits derived from L-arginine as it plays a versatile role at the cellular level. Being an important part of cellular level process, it helps in cell division. It is a part of the process of ammonia disposal from the body.

It is the starting material from which nitric oxide (an important signaling molecule in the human body), ornithine, urea (required for the removal of toxin like ammonia) and agmatine are produced.

It plays the role of stimulant in the release of human growth hormone from the pituitary gland. Therefore its role in child growth cannot be underestimated.

It can also cure many sexual disorders and reproductive problems in the human body. It can cure infertility in males by improving the motility of sperm and increasing their number count. It is known to assist blood circulation through various organs especially, the sexual organs. Thus it improves reproductive ability in humans.

Arginine also reduces the time required to heal bone injuries and tissue damage due to the fundamental role it plays in cell division. This can assist arthritis affected people and athletes who suffer frequent bone and tissue damage.

It also acts as a stimulant and booster in the production of T-lymphocytes (type of white blood cells which form the defense system of the body) from the thymus gland, strengthening the immune system in the process.

It is known to reduce intensity of heart diseases like hypertension by reducing the blood pressure. It increases muscle mass by helping production of creatine. It can reduce fat and therefore plays a major role in the 'weight loss' industry.

L-arginine is found to be effective in the treatment of congestive heart failure, chest pain, bladder inflammation while also helping HIV/AIDS patients in gaining weight and improving their body's immune response. It has been effective in aiding the recovery of patients undergoing kidney transplants, who are being administered cyclosporine dosage.

After that brief review of the many benefits of consuming L-arginine, let me present some of its prime side effects. Clinical trials have revealed that the pumping ability of the heart was compromised in some heart attack patients who were provided with its supplements. Also studies revealed that the death rate of people consuming the supplement is high.

Ergo, it's recommended that people recovering from heart attacks should avoid consumption of L-arginine, without a physician's consultation.

Some of the reported side effects on consumption are lowered blood pressure, diarrhea, pain in abdomen, allergic reactions causing inflammation of lung airways, increase in probability of herpes induced cold sore outbreaks, gout and blood abnormalities in rare cases.

Therefore people suffering from liver cirrhosis, low blood pressure problems, infected with herpes and waiting for impending surgeries should avoid usage.

Some studies have also revealed that asthmatic patients should not consume these supplements as it can cause inflammation in lungs, thereby worsening the asthma. Also, it's recommended by medical experts that pregnant and nursing women should avoid the intake of this supplement. Large dosages can prove fatal for infants and dosage without a doctor's prescription is not advisable.

The 1998 Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to scientists who explained the role played by nitric oxide in signaling the mechanism of cardiovascular system and who also revealed the role played by L-arginine in its production. This has put arginine research at the forefront currently.

Its remarkable ability to strengthen the immune system is a subject of research, for developing drugs that could aid the victims of AIDS and other immuno-deficiency diseases.

The tissue healing and growth hormone stimulation capabilities of this molecule are being harnessed in research which focuses on combating aging process.

There is no other molecule discovered yet that is as versatile and powerful in its healing abilities as arginine. Future research may reveal yet more about this molecule but already it's a tour de force in medical research in its healing abilities.