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Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition pp 3–12Cite as

Impact of Dietary Essential Amino Acids in Man

Part of the Nutrition and Health book series (NH)

Abstract

Dietary essential amino acids have two distinct nutritional functions: (1) substrates act as protein building blocks, and (2) they act as nutritional signals to evoke physiological reactions. The amino acid requirements of adults are stated in the 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU report. The amino acid values were primarily based on N balance studies. However, a number of tracer techniques and approaches have emerged to estimate the requirements, and the general conclusion from these studies is that the adult requirements for individual essential amino acids are considerably greater than the standards derived from earlier N balance studies. The final conclusion regarding each requirement is still under discussion. Dietary essential amino acids, including BCAAs, have important physiological signaling effects. Enhancing the essential amino acid composition improved glucose tolerance, decreased lipogenesis, and prevented hepatic steatosis in mice with diet induced obesity. There is clinical evidence suggesting that the supplementation of essential amino acids or BCAAs has beneficial effects on body weight, body fat, lean body mass, and insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, the BCAA, especially leucine-enriched balanced amino acid supplements are nutritionally recommended for the management of sarcopenia in elderly subjects. To reap the health benefits of essential amino acids (both as building blocks of proteins and as physiological signals), choosing food ingredients based on their amino acid composition is a potential new approach that could be combined with amino acid supplementation.

Keywords

  • Essential amino acids
  • Branched chain amino acids
  • Requirements
  • Antiobesogenic effect
  • Anabolic effect
  • Food ingredients

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, 210-8681, Japan

    Kenji Nagao Ph.D., Hiroko Jinzu R.D., Yasushi Noguchi Ph.D. & Makoto Bannai Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Kenji Nagao Ph.D.
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  2. Hiroko Jinzu R.D.
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  3. Yasushi Noguchi Ph.D.
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  4. Makoto Bannai Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenji Nagao Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Intensive Care, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Rajkumar Rajendram

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Nagao, K., Jinzu, H., Noguchi, Y., Bannai, M. (2015). Impact of Dietary Essential Amino Acids in Man. In: Rajendram, R., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1923-9_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1923-9_1

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