What are the benefits of amino acids to human body? Amino acids are the most basic substances that constitute the protein of organisms, and are related to life activities. They are the basic units of protein molecules in organisms and are closely related to the life activities of organisms. It has a special physiological function in antibodies and is one of the indispensable nutrients in organisms. First, the basic substance that constitutes the human body is the material basis of life; 1. protein, lipids, carbohydrates, inorganic salts, vitamins, water and dietary fiber constitute one of the most basic substances in human body. As the basic unit of protein molecule, amino acid is undoubtedly one of the most basic substances in human body. There are more than 20 kinds of amino acids that make up the human body, namely: tryptophan, methionine, threonine, valine, lysine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, alanine, phenylalanine, cystine, cysteine, arginine, glycine, serine, tyrosine and 3.5. Diiodotyrosine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, hydroxyproline, citrulline, leucine, etc. These amino acids exist in nature and can be synthesized in plants, but the human body cannot synthesize them all. Eight of them are not synthesized by human body and must be provided by food, which are called "essential amino acids". These eight essential amino acids are tryptophan, threonine, methionine, valine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine and phenylalanine. Others are "nonessential amino acids". Histidine can be synthesized in human body, but its synthesis speed can not meet the needs of the body, and some people list it as "essential amino acid". Cystine, tyrosine, arginine, serine and glycine are classified as "semi-essential amino acids" because they can be synthesized in vivo, but their synthetic raw materials are all essential amino acids. Cystine can replace 80% ~ 90% of methionine, and tyrosine can replace 70% ~ 75% of phenylalanine to play the role of essential amino acids. For example, according to its metabolic pathway in the body, it can be divided into "ketogenic amino acids" and "glycogenic amino acids"; According to its chemical properties, it can be divided into neutral amino acids, acidic amino acids and basic amino acids, most of which are neutral. 2. The material basis of life metabolism The emergence, existence and extinction of life are all related to protein, as Engels said: "protein is the material basis of life, and life is a form of existence in protein." If the human body lacks protein, its physique will be reduced, its development will be delayed, its resistance will be weakened, anemia will be weak, and edema will be formed in severe cases, even life-threatening. Once protein is lost, life will cease to exist, so some people call protein "the carrier of life". Can be said to be the first element of life. The basic unit of protein is amino acid. If the human body lacks any essential amino acids, it will lead to abnormal physiological function, affect the normal metabolism of antibodies and eventually lead to diseases. Similarly, if the human body lacks some non-essential amino acids, there will also be disorder of antibody metabolism. Arginine and citrulline are very important for the formation of urea. Insufficient intake of cystine will cause insulin decrease and blood sugar increase. For example, the demand for cystine and arginine has greatly increased after trauma. Without it, even if the heat energy is sufficient, protein can't be successfully synthesized. In a word, amino acids can play the following roles in human body through metabolism: ① synthesis of tissue protein; (2) into acid, hormone, antibody, creatine and other ammonia-containing substances; (3) into carbohydrates and fats; ④ Oxidation into carbon dioxide, water and urea to generate energy. Therefore, the existence of amino acids in human body not only provides important raw materials for the synthesis of protein, but also provides a material basis for promoting growth, normal metabolism and maintaining life. If the human body lacks or reduces one of them, the normal life metabolism of the human body will be hindered, and even various diseases or life activities will be terminated. This shows how many amino acids are needed for human life activities. Second, its position and role in nutrition. In order to survive, human beings must eat food to maintain the normal physiological, biochemical and immune functions of antibodies, as well as life activities such as growth, development and metabolism. The comprehensive process of digestion, absorption and metabolism of food in the body, promoting the growth and development of antibodies, improving intelligence and strengthening the body, preventing aging and diseases, and prolonging life is called nutrition. The effective ingredients in food are called nutrients. Protein, lipids, carbohydrates, inorganic salts (that is, minerals, which contain a large number of elements and trace elements), vitamins, water and dietary fiber, which constitute the most basic substances of the human body and are also nutrients needed by the human body. They have their own unique nutritional functions in the body, but they are closely related in the process of metabolism, participating, promoting and regulating life activities together. The body communicates with the outside world through food, keeping the internal environment relatively constant, and completing the unity and balance of the internal and external environment. The role of amino acids in nutrients needed by human body; 1. protein is digested and absorbed by amino acids in the body. Protein, as the first nutrient element in the body, plays an obvious role in food nutrition, but it can't be directly used in the human body, but can be used by turning it into small molecules of amino acids. That is, it is not directly absorbed by the human body in the gastrointestinal tract, but is decomposed into low molecular weight peptides or amino acids by various digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, and then absorbed in the small intestine and enters the liver along the hepatic portal vein. Some amino acids are decomposed or synthesized into protein in the liver; Another part of amino acids continue to distribute to various tissues and organs with blood, and can freely choose to synthesize various specific tissue proteins. Under normal circumstances, the speed of amino acids entering the blood is almost equal to its output speed, so the content of amino acids in normal people's blood is quite constant. If calculated by amino nitrogen, the content is 4-6 mg per 100 ml of plasma and 6.5-9.6 mg per 100 ml of blood cells. After a full meal in protein, a large number of amino acids were absorbed, and the level of amino acids in blood temporarily increased, and the content returned to normal after 6-7 hours. It shows that amino acid metabolism in the body is in a dynamic balance, with blood amino acids as its balance hub, and liver is an important regulator of blood amino acids. Therefore, food protein is digested and decomposed into amino acids and then absorbed by human body, and antibodies use these amino acids to synthesize their own protein. What the human body needs for protein is actually the need for amino acids. 2. Play a role in nitrogen balance When the quality and quantity of protein in daily diet are appropriate, the amount of nitrogen intake is equal to the amount of nitrogen discharged from feces, urine and skin, which is called the total balance of nitrogen. In fact, it is the balance of continuous synthesis and decomposition between protein and amino acids. Normal people's daily intake of protein should be kept within a certain range. When the intake suddenly increases or decreases, the body can still regulate the metabolism of protein and maintain the nitrogen balance. Excessive intake of protein, beyond the body's regulatory capacity, will destroy the balance mechanism. If you don't eat protein at all, the tissue proteins in your body will still decompose and negative nitrogen balance will continue to appear. If measures are not taken to correct it in time, the antibody will eventually die. 3. α -keto acids produced by amino acid catabolism of sugar or fat are metabolized along the metabolic pathways of sugar or fat with different characteristics. α-keto acids can be synthesized into new amino acids, or converted into sugar or fat, or decomposed into CO2 and H2O through cyclic oxidation of tricarboxylic acid, releasing energy. 4. Groups containing one carbon atom are generated during the catabolism of some amino acids in a carbon unit, including methyl, methylene, methylene, methylthio, cresol and iminomethyl. A carbon unit has the following two characteristics: 1. It cannot exist in an organism in a free form; 2. Tetrahydrofolate must be used as a carrier. Amino acids that can produce one carbon unit are serine, tryptophan, histidine and glycine. In addition, methionine can provide "active methyl" (a carbon unit) through S- adenosylmethionine (SAM), so methionine can also generate a carbon unit. The main physiological function of a carbon unit is as the raw material for the synthesis of purine and pyrimidine, and it is the link between amino acids and nucleotides. 5. The chemical essence of enzymes, hormones and some vitamins is protein (amino acid molecular composition), such as amylase, pepsin, cholinesterase, carbonic anhydrase, transaminase, etc. The nitrogen-containing hormone is protein or its derivatives, such as growth hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, adrenaline, insulin, intestinal juice stimulating hormone, etc. Some vitamins are converted from amino acids or exist in combination with protein. Enzymes, hormones and vitamins play a very important role in regulating physiological functions and catalyzing metabolism. 6. The requirement of essential amino acids for human body is about 20% ~ 37% of that of protein. Third, the application in medical treatment; Amino acids are mainly used to prepare compound amino acid infusion in medicine, and also used as therapeutic drugs and synthetic peptides. At present, there are more than 100 kinds of amino acids used as drugs, including 20 kinds of amino acids that constitute protein and more than 100 kinds of amino acids that constitute non-protein. Compound preparation composed of various amino acids plays a very important role in modern intravenous nutrition infusion and "element diet" therapy. It plays an active role in maintaining the nutrition of critically ill patients and saving their lives, and has become one of the indispensable medical varieties in modern medicine. Amino acids such as glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, cystine and levodopa can be used alone to treat some diseases, mainly for treating liver diseases, digestive tract diseases, encephalopathy, cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases, as well as improving muscle vitality, pediatric nutrition and detoxification. In addition, amino acid derivatives are also promising in cancer treatment.