The essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Another amino acid, histidine, is considered semiessential because the body does not always require dietary sources for it. The nonessential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Other amino acids, such as carnitine, are made from the combination of other amino acids, in this case lysine and methionine. In what conditions might amino acids be supportive?

• alcohol withdrawal (DLPA, glutamine, tyrosine)
• Alzheimer’s disease (acetyl-L-carnitine, tyrosine)
• angina (arginine, carnitine)
• athletic support (BCAA, carnitine, creatine, isoleucine, leucine, ornithine, ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate, valine, whey protein)
• benign prostatic hyperplasia (alanine, glutamic acid, glycine)
• bronchitis (cysteine, N-acetyl cysteine)
• cancer risk reduction (soy)
• chemotherapy support (cysteine, N-acetyl cysteine)
• chronic fatigue syndrome (carnitine)
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (cysteine, N-acetyl cysteine)
• congestive heart failure (arginine, carnitine, taurine)
• depression (DLPA, L-phenylalanine, tyrosine)
• diabetes (carnitine, taurine)
• emphysema (cysteine, N-acetyl cysteine)
• epilepsy (taurine)
• hepatitis (thymus proteins)
• herpes simplex (lysine)
• high blood pressure (taurine)
• high cholesterol (carnitine, soy)
• high triglycerides (carnitine)
• HIV support (cysteine, glutamine, N-acetyl cysteine)
• hormone replacement therapy (soy)
• infertility (male) (arginine, carnitine)
• intermittent claudication (carnitine)
• liver support (methionine, taurine)
• menopause (soy)
• osteoarthritis (DLPA)
• pain (DLPA)
• Parkinson’s disease (L-phenylalanine)
• peptic ulcer (glutamine)
• phenylketonuria (leucine, tyrosine)
• postsurgery recovery (BCAAs, creatine)
• pregnancy support (soy)
• rheumatoid arthritis (DLPA, histidine)
• ulcerative colitis (glutamine)
• vitiligo (L-phenylalanine)
• wound healing (ornithine, ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate)