L Glutamine

L-glutamine (commonly referred to as glutamine) is the most prevalent amino acid in the bloodstream. It is found in high concentration in skeletal muscle and lung, liver, brain, and gastrointestinal tissues. Skeletal muscle contains the greatest intracellular concentration of glutamine, comprising up to 60 percent of total body glutamine stores, and muscle is the primary storage depot and exporter of glutamine to other tissues. However, the gastrointestinal tract is the greatest user of glutamine in the body because glutamine provides the primary fuel for the nutrient-absorbing cells that line the walls of the small intestine.

Various stressors: such as trauma, infection, malnutrition, chemotherapy can impact the normal function of the enterocytes of the small intestine by adversely affecting how substances are absorbed. For example, when gut permeability is impaired it can allow large protein molecules to diffuse across the intestine that would otherwise not and enter the bloodstream (resulting in a condition called leaky gut syndrome).  In numerous animal studies, in which hyper-permeability of the intestine is experimentally induced, the addition of glutamine improved permeability function as well as the gut’s immune function.

In times of metabolic stress, glutamine is released from the muscles into the bloodstream, where it is transported to the tissues in need but concentration in the skeletal muscles can be affected by various insults, including injury, infection, prolonged stress, malnutrition, and the use of glucocorticoids.

L-glutamine has several benefits:

Reduces the severity and duration of mouth pain/mucositis caused by chemotherapy
Supports the gastro-intestinal tract during chemotherapy
 Fights viral, bacteria and fungal infections
Reduces the severity and duration of mouth pain/mucositis caused by chemotherapy
Reduces the duration of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea
Reduces peripheral neuropathy, numbness, pain, tingling
Promotes immune system health
Supports a healthy nervous system and a building block of neurotransmitters in the brain
An essential nutrient for wound healing