L-Alanine is made up of white crystals or a crystalline powder, and is used as an additive to improve the nutritional value in food and drinks such as bread, tea, and dairy products. L-Alanine is an amino acid that improves the body’s utilization of protein. Though it’s considered safe, some are convinced it has potentially dangerous health effects.
What Is L-Alanine?
L-Alanine is a non-essential amino acid produced by the human body that is involved in the metabolism of sugar and acids. As a dietary supplement, it can help reduce body fat levels, promote insulin regulation, and support prostate health. It is mainly used in nutritional supplements and as a sweetener in products that have undergone non-enzymatic browning such as bread products, meats, malted barley, roasted coffee, and maple syrup.
Possible Side Effects of L-Alanine
Although L-Alanine generally regarded as a very safe and effective supplement, there can be some minor side effects. The side effects may:
- paraesthesia, or tingling sensations.
GRAS Affirmation: Yes
Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) is an American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation that a chemical or substance added to food is considered safe by experts, and so is exempted from the usual Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) food additive tolerance requirements. L-Alanine is considered safe.
Suggested Dosage
NA.
Special Populations Precaution
There is a lot of concern about diet and nutrition for these population, like Newborns, children, pregnant, sensitive to L-Alanine populations. Better consult to your doctor if you would like to intake L-Alanine.
Related Research
1. Characterization of a meso-chiral isomer of a hexanuclear Cu(ii) cage from racemization of the l-alanine Schiff base. [Dalton Trans. 2014 Jul 15] Author: Rajesh CM, Ray M.
2. Structural Analysis and Mutant Growth Properties Reveal Distinctive Enzymatic and Cellular Roles for the Three Major L-Alanine Transaminases of Escherichia coli. [PLoS One. 2014 Jul 11] Author: Peña-Soler E, Fernandez FJ, López-Estepa M, Garces F, Richardson AJ, Quintana JF, Rudd KE, Coll M, Vega MC.
3. Prolonged continuous intravenous infusion of the dipeptide L-alanine- L-glutamine significantly increases plasma glutamine and alanine without elevating brain glutamate in patients with severe traumatic brain injury. [Crit Care. 2014 Jul 2] Author: Nägeli M, Fasshauer M, Sommerfeld J, Fendel A, Brandi G, Stover JF.
4. Thiophenyl-substituted triazolyl-thione L-alanine: asymmetric synthesis, aggregation and biological properties. [Amino Acids. 2014 Jun 22] Author: Saghyan AS, Simonyan HM, Petrosyan SG, Geolchanyan AV, Roviello GN, Musumeci D, Roviello V.
5. Cycling Time Trial Performance May Be Impaired by Whey Protein and L-Alanine Intake During Prolonged Exercise. [Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014 Jun 17] Author: Schroer AB, Saunders MJ, Baur DA, Womack CJ, Luden ND.