L-Arginine : Sources and Health benefits

Overview

What is L-Arginine?

L-Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid, meaning that the body can generally generate it and is only required from food sources during periods of disease, infancy, pregnancy, stress, or trauma. In the body, proteins are created from amino acids, aiding tissue repair and muscular growth. L-arginine’s sources, dose, adverse effects, health benefits, risks, and drug interactions are all covered in this article.

Key Facts

• The body absorbs l-arginine through the small intestine.
• Our body can also produce arginine from citrulline, especially in the kidneys.
• The liver and small intestine both work to break it down.
• L-arginine is utilized by the body to make creatine, ornithine, urea, and nitric oxide. ¹Overview| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Functions

What does L-arginine do?

L-arginine helps our body to

• Build protein.
• Promotes wound healing.
• Improves immune system performance.
• It enables the kidneys to remove waste.
• Promotes the synthesis of insulin.
• Increases cells’ sensitivity to insulin.
• Increases blood flow.²Functions| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Sources

Sources of L-Arginine

The following are some foods sources that contain L-arginine :

• Animal source – Turkey, pork, chicken.
• Fish – salmon, haddock.
• L-arginine fruits – dried apricots, grape juice, watermelon, Gogi berries dried, bananas, pomegranates.³Sources| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com
• Vegetables – onions, spinach, peas, Brussels sprouts
• Legumes – Soybeans, chickpeas, beans.
• Nuts – Peanuts, almonds, cashews.
• Seeds – Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds.
• Dairy products – milk, cheese, yogurt.⁴Sources| Researched based study from Mayoclinic.org
• Whole grains –brown rice, oats, corn.
• Lentils and spirulina.

Dosage

Dosage of L-Arginine

Supplements

L-Arginine supplements are usually available in the form of

• Powder
• Tablet
• Liquid
• Capsule
• Gels
• Creams.
• Medical professionals can also provide them as IV injections administered into the veins. ⁴Dosage| Researched based study from Mayoclinic.org One may get these supplements online, at pharmacies, supplement shops, and grocery stores.

Dosage

L-arginine does not come with a specific dosage guideline. A doctor determines the dosage based on the person’s age, lifestyle, food, body weight, and overall health.

• 4 to 5 grams per day are the usual dietary intake.⁵Dosage| Researched based study from Nih.gov
• Taking L-arginine between meals will ensure optimum absorption.
• It takes 20 minutes after the intake to start working.

To discover the dosage best suitable for a given issue, consult a healthcare practitioner.

Health benefits

Health Benefits of L-Arginine

L-Arginine health benefits are many and as follows:

• Regulates blood sugar
• Reduces high blood pressure
• Improves heart health
• Helps with migraines
• Manages erectile dysfunction
• Treats and prevents preeclampsia
• Treats peripheral arterial disease

Regulates blood sugar

• L-arginine supplementation can improve glucose levels and regulates insulin production and insulin sensitivity in the cells of type 2 diabetic patients.⁶Health benefits| Researched based study from Physiology.org

Reduces high blood pressure

• L-arginine can reduce blood pressure in both hypertensive patients and healthy individuals. Additionally, it makes blood vessel walls work better.⁷Health benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Improves heart health

• A study demonstrated that l-arginine derived from plant sources could assist in controlling blood pressure and preventing coronary heart diseases (CHD) ⁸Health benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov
• It may also aid those suffering from mild to severe angina in reducing their symptoms and improve their quality of life.⁴Health benefits| Researched based study from Mayoclinic.org,⁹Health benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Helps with migraines

• L-arginine and aged garlic extract may reduce the severity or frequency of migraines.¹⁰Health benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Manages erectile dysfunction

• Supplementing with L-arginine alone can help with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction ¹¹Health benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov
• Daily L-Arginine 2,500 mg, along with Tadalafil 5 mg, was proven beneficial in treating mild to severe erectile dysfunction in research.¹²Health benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Treats and prevents preeclampsia

• Studies have found L-arginine supplements to assist high-risk pregnancies in avoiding preeclampsia.¹³Health benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov
• Pregnant women with preeclampsia can lower their blood pressure by receiving L-arginine intravenously from a healthcare professional.

Treats peripheral artery disease (PAD)

• Supplemental L-arginine may help individuals with impaired blood flow and blood vessel function, benefiting those with peripheral arterial disease.¹⁴Health benefits| Researched based study from Mpdi.com
• However, L-arginine supplementation over an extended period could not help manage PAD. ¹⁵Health benefits| Researched based study from Ahajounals.org

It is also used to treat a variety of other medical issues, however there are not enough reliable evidence to support them.

Deficiency

L-Arginine deficiency

Arginine shortage is very rare and often occurs along with other conditions such as protein malnutrition, increased stress levels, enzyme deficiencies, and other health problems and may produce the following symptoms:

• Skin rashes
• Constipation
• Hair loss
• Obesity
• Improper wound healing ¹⁶Deficiency| Researched based study from Ndhealthfacts.org

Side effects

L-Arginine Side effects

Most study results suggest that up to 9 g/day of arginine for several days or weeks is safe and well tolerated. However, doses beyond that can produce common l-arginine side effects as follows :

• Nausea
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Low blood pressure
• Problems with sleep¹⁷Side effects| Researched based study from Vitaminexpress.org
• Abdomen pain

More severe side effects may include:

• Allergic reaction – like itching, hives, or rashes.
• A tight feeling in the chest
• Difficulty breathing

Contraindications

Who should avoid taking L-Arginine?

People with the following health conditions should avoid taking l-arginine supplements :

• Low blood pressure
• Liver cirrhosis
• Asthma
• Kidney disease
• Recent heart attack
• Guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency ¹⁸Contraindications| Researched based study from Medlineplus.gov
• Hypersensitivity to arginine
• People with herpes infection

Precautions

Precautions to be taken while taking L-Arginine

• People with asthma or allergies need to take L-arginine dietary supplements carefully because it could aggravate their conditions.
• When using arginine, anyone who has herpes should exercise caution. The virus can be activated, and the sickness can spread at very low dosages.¹⁷Precautions| Researched based study from Vitaminexpress.org
• L-arginine should not be taken by people who have recently experienced a heart attack since it may raise the chance of death.
• In children – When given orally or inhaled by children, it may be safe.
• Pregnant women – Because there is not enough information on the long-term usage of L-arginine during pregnancy, pregnant women should err on the side of caution and avoid using it unless a doctor advises them to.¹⁸Precautions| Researched based study from Medlineplus.gov
• Breastfeeding – L-arginine should be avoided unless specifically advised by a healthcare professional, as there is not enough trustworthy information to determine whether it is safe to take while breastfeeding.
• Scheduled surgery – It is advised to quit taking L-arginine for at least two weeks before an upcoming surgery because it may affect how blood pressure is managed both during and after the procedure.

Interactions

Interactions of L-Arginine

Arginine supplements may interact with the following medicines

• Medicines to control blood pressure – Because l-arginine is known to relax and expand blood vessels, blood pressure medications like ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers may cause blood pressure to drop too low.¹⁷Interactions| Researched based study from Vitaminexpress.org
• Sildenafil (Viagra) – is a drug taken for erectile dysfunction. Blood pressure can be lowered by sildenafil. Additionally, L-arginine can reduce blood pressure. Combining sildenafil and L-arginine runs the risk of lowering blood pressure too much.⁴Interactions| Researched based study from Mayoclinic.org
• Blood thinners – L-arginine may reduce blood coagulation; if taken along with blood thinners, the risk of bleeding and bruising may increase.¹⁸Interactions| Researched based study from Medlineplus.gov
• Blood sugar-lowering medication – L-arginine may lower blood sugar levels. Combining L-arginine with diabetes drugs may result in alarmingly low blood sugar levels and should be monitored regularly.¹⁸Interactions| Researched based study from Medlineplus.gov
• Potassium-sparing diuretics, sometimes known as water pills – When used with arginine, can cause high levels of potassium in the blood, resulting in arrhythmias that could be fatal. ¹⁷Interactions| Researched based study from Vitaminexpress.org

Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

As this article may not cover every medication that could interact with l-arginine, it is advised that people discuss all of their current medications, including prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, and dietary supplement medications, before taking L-arginine supplements. The ideal way to obtain arginine is through a healthy diet, as supplements could have harmful side effects. People must check with a doctor to begin using dietary supplements of any kind.