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Dietary Intakes of Amino Acids and Other Nutrients by Adult Humans

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Amino Acids in Nutrition and Health

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1332))

Abstract

Measuring usual dietary intake in freely living humans is difficult to accomplish. As a part of our recent study, a food frequency questionnaire was completed by healthy adult men and women at days 0 and 90 of the study. Data from the food questionnaire were analyzed with a nutrient analysis program (www.Harvardsffq.date). Healthy men and women consumed protein as 19–20% and 17–19% of their total energy intakes, respectively, with animal protein representing about 75 and 70% of their total protein intakes, respectively. The intake of each nutritionally essential amino acid (EAA) by the persons exceeded that recommended for healthy adults with a minimal physical activity. In all individuals, the dietary intake of leucine was the highest, followed by lysine, valine, and isoleucine in descending order, and the ingestion of amino acids that are synthesizable de novo in animal cells (AASAs) was about 20% greater than that of total EAAs. The intake of each AASA met those recommended for healthy adults with a minimal physical activity. Intakes of some AASAs (alanine, arginine, aspartate, glutamate, and glycine) from a typical diet providing 90–110 g food protein/day does not meet the requirements of adults with an intensive physical activity. Within the male or female group, there were not significant differences in the dietary intakes of all amino acids between days 0 and 90 of the study, and this was also true for nearly all other essential nutrients. Our findings will help to improve amino acid nutrition and health in both the general population and exercising individuals.

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Abbreviations

AASAs:

Amino acids that are synthesizable de novo in animal cells

BW:

Body weight

EAA:

Nutritionally essential amino acid

FAO:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

IOM:

Institute of Medicine

NEAA:

Nutritionally nonessential amino acid

NO:

Nitric oxide

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Acknowledgements

The portion of this work on the food intake questionnaire of study participants was funded by International Council of Amino Acid Science (Brussels, Belgium). Tapasree R. Sarkar was supported by a training grant from the National Cancer Institute (T32-CA00301). Bani K. Mallick was supported, in part, by grants from the National Cancer Institute (R01CA194391) and the National Science Foundation (CCF 1934904). Raymond Carroll was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (U01-CA057030). Guoyao Wu was supported by Texas A&M AgriLife Research (H-8200).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Tapasree R. Sarkar

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, TX, 76508, USA

    Catherine J. McNeal

  3. Department of Medical Physiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Cynthia J. Meininger

  4. Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Yabo Niu, Bani K. Mallick & Raymond J. Carroll

  5. Faculty of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Raymond J. Carroll & Guoyao Wu

  6. Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Guoyao Wu

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  1. Tapasree R. Sarkar
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Correspondence to Guoyao Wu .

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  1. Texas A&M Univesity, College Station, TX, USA

    Guoyao Wu

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Sarkar, T.R. et al. (2021). Dietary Intakes of Amino Acids and Other Nutrients by Adult Humans. In: Wu, G. (eds) Amino Acids in Nutrition and Health. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1332. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74180-8_12

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