Methionine

Methionine is a neutral genetically-coded amino acid that is essentially in human nutrition. With the possible exception of cysteine, another essential amino acid, methionine is the only amino acid that contains sulfur and is coded for by DNA.

What are amino acids?

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and protein, as we all know, is essential for muscle growth and development. Proteins make up the bulk of every cell structure and some serve as enzymes for catalyzing cellular reaction. Some amino acids are called “essential” because the body needs them but cannot manufacture them on its own. All in all, there are 20 amino acids in the body but only 8 are considered essential. These eight include: tryptophan, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine.

Methionine – Health Benefits

Methionine is a key player in a lot of chemical reactions occurring within cells of the body. Since it is one of the two sulfur-containing amino acids, it is a key supplier of sulfur, as well as other compounds, required by the body for normal metabolism and growth.

Methionine belongs to a group of compounds called lipotropics. These are chemicals that help the liver process fats or lipids. As a lipotropic, methionine therefore helps in burning fats and reducing fat deposits in the liver.

Research on AIDS has led to the discovery that people who have this disease typically have low levels of methionine. Doctors and medical researchers suggest that this may explain some aspects of the pathology of the disease, including why deterioration occurs in the nervous system, resulting in symptoms such as dementia. A preliminary study revealed that methionine, served in 6 grams per day, may help boost up memory recall in people with AIDS-related nervous system degeneration.

Various studies have also linked methionine with Parkinson’s disease, another nervous disorder that results in involuntary motor reaction. In a small but well-controlled study, it was found that 2 grams of methionine served every day in combination with several antioxidants reduced pain and recurrences of attacks of pancreatitis.

Dietary Sources

Methionine is fairly common in the foods that we eat. They are especially abundant in meat, fish, and dairy products, which are considered excellent sources of this amino acid. Vegetarians need not feel left out since methionine can also be found in whole grains. Beans, however, are not so reliable when it comes to concentrations of this amino acid.

Deficiency in methionine could lead to problems, especially among newborns. Pregnant women who don’t take enough of this amino acid may give birth to babies with neural tube defects. However, the significance of this is not yet very clear. Nevertheless, many drugstores sell methionine as a supplement, often in tablets and sometimes in capsules. They may also be included in your typical multivitamin supplement.

The recommended daily allowance of this amino acid varies according to body weight. For average-size adults, the body requires approximately 800-1,000 mg of methionine per day.

There are no known side effects or interactions with this amino acids. However, some animal studies suggest that diets high in methionine, in the presence of B-vitamin deficiencies, may increase the risk of atherosclerosis by increasing blood levels of cholesterol and a compound called homocysteine.