Dietary Amino Acid Regulation of Brain Function (Research Paper Sample)

Dietary Amino Acid Regulation of Brain Function (Neurotransmitters)
Student's Name
Institute of Learning
Dietary Amino Acid Regulation of Brain Function
Introduction
Neurotransmitters are chemicals within the brains that transmit information between the body parts and the minds. These compounds emit signals across the synapse from one end of the neuron nerve cell to the other. Most of scientist had no reliable information on how brained communicated to the rest of the body, until 1921. During this period, Otto Loewi, a German biologist, discovered Acetylcholine as a chemical used to transmit the brain information. Since then, other chemicals has been identified, and the neurotransmitter has been classified into three main groups13. The amino acids are the primary transmitters followed by peptides and lastly the monoamines. The major source of amino acids in most animals is by the consumption of proteins food that are digested to give the amino acids. This paper will review the research literature on the dietary amino acids that are essential in the regulation of the functionality of the brain through the neurotransmitters.
Amino Acids as Neurotransmitters
According to recent studied on the neurotransmission process, amino acids are the most abundant chemicals in the brain system. These chemicals that are categorised in different categories responsible for almost all the quick signalling process that occurs in the neurones leaving the modulatory transmission activities to other chemicals14. The amino acids serve both the excitatory and the inhibitory role in the nerve system as they transfer information. The excitatory amino acids include Glutamate, Homocysteine, Cysteine, and Aspartate. Their major role is to stimulate the postsynaptic cells to allow the transmission across the synapse. On the other hand, the inhibitory amino acids include GABA, Taurine, β-Alanine, and Glycine. These amino acids depress the activities all the postsynaptic cells just after the transmission of the information16.
Essential of the Dietary Amino Acid to the Formation of Neurotransmitters.
The transportation of the digested amino acid into the brain is very paramount in the since the synthesis of many of the amino acid neurotransmitter depends on the availability of precursor8. If the level of the necessary neutral and essential amino acids found in the brain fall to the lower levels, it may result in the reduction in the production of production of the cerebral protein. These essential neutral and basic amino acids cannot be synthesised in the brain and thus they is a general need to ensure that they are supplied in a constant flow to the brain8. They are essential at they are the one that the brain uses to synthesise the acidic amino acids like the glutamate and the aspartate that are employed in the neurotransmission body process.
Due to the ability of the brain to manufacture the acidic amino acids, the level of supply to the brain of these acids is mostly required to be a minimal as they are not necessary15. Compared to the neutral and the basic amino acids that are acquired from the food that we consume, acidic amino acid need not to be added to the body through meals or drugs. The level at which the brain synthesise the neurotransmitter thus depend wholly on the level of amino acids concentration the plasma1.
Groups of the Amino Acids That Influence Functionality of the Brain.
Two types of the amino acids are essential in the synthesis of the neurotransmitters amino acids that human commonly consumes from the diet. These categories are the aromatic and the acidic amino acids16. As the analysis above, the aromatic amino acids are those important neutral as well as basic amino acids that animals a human consume into their system5. On the other hand, the acidic amino acids are those which are used in the as neurotransmitters, which can be produced by the brain as well as be consumed directly from the meals.
Aromatic Amino Acids
These are the essential neutral and the primary amino acids that are required by the human body and other animals5. There are six essential amino acids that the humans and other animal's needs in their organization that they do not produce. Of all these six amino acids, there three most amino acids that are required for the production of the neurotransmitters in the human body and other animals. These amino acids include tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine. These amino acids are unique by human and animals body as they cannot produce them internally. It is thus very essential that they acquire them in the diet to enable them to maintain a minimal level of these amino acids that facilitate the synthesis of the neurotransmitter amino acids5.
These aromatic amino acids are entirely derived from the protein product that humans and other animals undertake. Studies have shown in the past that after consumption of the protein into the human body, the reveal of the aromatic amino acids increases at a consistent rate. It is thus very essentials for the human to focus on the diet that enable more intake of the aromatic amino acids to enhance the development of neurotransmitters amino acids12. The past studies in rate have shown that the concentration of the aromatic amino acids in the plasma has a direct impact on the speed in which the brain produced the neurotransmitters. These aromatic amino acids are the biosynthetic precursors of the neurotransmitters like the serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
Acidic Amino Acids.
Acidic amino acids amino acids are the neurotransmitters that the brain uses to transfer information to the less of the body. The level of intake of these amino acids has always troubled the researchers in finding the exact effect that it cause to the human and other animals body12. There are a lot of theories that consumption of such amino acids into the body cause their relaxation of the body. However, there is no general prove that can show how such intake impact the relaxation on the process.
Studies have concluded that there is no direct uptake of acidic amino acids into the brains for immediate use as the neurotransmitters. All the amino acids that the brain uses as the neurotransmitter are all synthesised by the brain itself. The acidic amino acids consumed in the body may be of little or no importance in the production of the neurotransmitters as they brains12. The consumptions of food that directly lead to the increase of the acidic amino acids like the glutamate and aspartate have no effect thus on the level of the acidic amino acids found in the human body. Some researchers have entirely concluded that the consummation of drugs and other rich diets that has a high level of acidic amino acids, may not have any effects on the level to which the brain produced the neurotransmitters9.
Minimum Diet Intake for Proper Brain Functionality.
The most important amino acids that have so far be found essential for the production of the neurotransmitters amino acids which affects the functionality of the brains are the aromatic amino acids. These amino acids are entirely delivered from the meals that animals and the human consumes9. There is a standard amount of these amino acids and especially to the humans that are supposed to be consumed daily to ensure that the functionality of the brain and other parts of the body remains in order.
The intake of the three aromatic amino acids that affects the functionality of the brain should be maintained above a minimal level set by different organs. According to world food organisation and other international health agencies, all human should have a minimum of 15 mg per kilogram intake of the tryptophan amino acids into their body10. The data means that a person is supposed to take milligrams of tryptophan that are equivalent to his/her weight multiplied by 15. If a person is of 60kg, he/she should consume at rest 900 milligrams of tryptophan to maintain the proper brain functionality.
There is also a set standard level of the phenylalanine and the tyrosine that human being are supposed to consume dairy. These two amino acids are believed to have the same functionality in the human body and most profoundly in the brain, and thus they are measured in the same units. However, regardless of the combination of intake, it is assumed that all human should surpass the minimum level to ensure better brain functionality10. 25 milligram per one kilogram in each human is the lowest level of intake that is allowed. If a person is of 60kg then it can be translated to me he/she need 1500 milligram of both phenylalanine and tyrosine combined on daily basis2.
Diet That Contain the Essential Amino Acids.
To meet the minimum intake of the essential amino acids in the body, it is recommended that all humans' meals should have 10-35% of the proteins in the total calories consumed2. There should at least have an intake of around 11-39 mg of proteins per calories. Different organisation and health departments in various nations have their standard for the intake of the aromatic amino acids. However, there are several meals that are believed to have the essential amino acids, which people are advised to consume.
There are four main categories of the dietary proteins that are mostly recommended to people. These groups include muscle, plant proteins, milk and egg. The muscle proteins are the one that are found on the meat product. These proteins can occur in red meat, fish as well as the poultry meat11. All the meat product that are located in this category are imperative sources essential amino acids in human bodies. These meats usually have a lot of these aromatic amino acids that animals acquires as they feed on the plants. There digest and utilize them while as some to them remain stored in their muscles. These meat products thus have a lot of these essential amino acids that human’s...