L-Arginine is a very important amino acid that is required by the body for a number of functions. One of the main functions of L-Arginine is its ability to rid the body of ammonia, which is a waste product. It is also used in the manufacture of nitric oxide, which helps to relax the blood vessels, thereby increasing the flow of blood and reducing the chances of a heart attack. It is advised that supplements of L-Arginine should not be administered following a heart attack for fear that it could possibly aggravate cardiac shock. L-Arginine is being used in treating people with erectile dysfunction, as it relaxes the blood vessels surrounding the penis. It is also used in treating migraine and blood pressure.

L-Aspartic Acid is very significant in producing energy. Helps to move NADH to the proper energy producing section of the body. This allows the NADH to make ATP the fuel power for cells.

L-Cysteine is one of the many naturally occurring amino acids. It is further termed as a protein amino acid. Promoting the stomach lining health is one of the main functions of l-cysteine. It also helps in correction of situations where the essential nutrients from food sources are not being absorbed properly. Generally, most people do not need supplements for obtaining l-cysteine amino acid. It is can easily be found in vegetable, meats and dairy products. Although, l-cysteine is also available in the form of cysteine, which is found in plenty of protein enriched foods. Cysteine is one of those amino acids which are not destroyed by cooking. On the contrary, research shows that cooking of food rich in cysteine may help you absorb them better.

L-Glutamic Acid- In the proteinogenic group of twenty amino acids, the group that is deemed the building blocks of proteins, L-Glutamic Acid is one of the more commonly known ones. The reason for this fame are the carboxylate anions and salts of the glutamic acid, the glutamates. Glutamic acid is present in many fermented or aged food sources, such as cheese and soy sauce, but also in yeast extracts. The sodium salt of glutamic acid, monosodium glutamate, is a very popular and widely used food additive. Glutamate is an extremely important molecule in cellular metabolism. Glutamate is also one of the most commonly occurring excitatory neurotransmitters. Glutamate has been also identified as a precursor to GABA inhibitor. Glutamic acid is deemed responsible for one of the five basic tastes, the human taste sense commonly called umami.

L-Glycine- Glycine is an organic compound and one of the 20 amino acids deemed as building blocks for proteins. This proteinogenic amino acid is not only the smallest but also the only amino acid of the group that is not chiral, which means there is no enantiomer of glycine. With the prominent exception of collagen, which thirty five percent are glycine, most proteins contain only small amounts of it. As a solid, glycine is sweet tasting, crystalline and has no color. Despite being non-essential, because it can be biosynthesized from the amino acid serine, glycine has several important physiological functions, besides being a precursor to proteins. It is a biosynthetic intermediate of purines and the D-Aminolevulinic acid and it is an inhibitory neurotransmitter found in the central nervous system.

L-Histidine is an amino acid that is essential to the body, but is not produced by the body. It is made available through various food sources. Histidine helps in the manufacture and repair of tissues in the body, and in the formation of red and white blood cells which help in the treatment of anemia. It is also used for the production of gastric juices by the stomach. A deficiency in Histidine can lead to cataract and rheumatoid arthritis. Besides this, it is also a well known component of the skin that protects it by absorbing the ultra violet rays of the sun. A variety of foods such as meat, legumes, seafood, nuts, poultry and dairy products are providers of the required amounts of L-Histidine.

L-Isoleucine is an essential alpha-amino acid that is considered both, a ketogenic and a glucogenic amino acid. Since that L-Isoleucine is an essential amino acid, it cannot be synthesized by the body, therefore it needs to be ingested. The primary source of L-Isoleucine is as a component of proteins. It has become a prominent component of nutritional supplements, mostly with the body building and similar athletic communities, where it is believed that L-Isoleucine has the capability to increase endurance, but also to repair muscle tissue. It has been observed that L-Isoleucine ingestion allows power athletes to recover easier from very tough trainings and exhausting activities. This branched chain amino acid is one of the three main BCAA in the body, the other ones being valine and leucine.

L-Leucine with the food additive E number code E641 is classified as a flavor enhancer. Leucine is actually an essential alpha-amino acid and a vital part of so called “buffer” proteins, such as ferritin and astacin. You can find leucine in foods such as whole wheat bread products, nuts and brown rice. As a supplement, researchers have found that leucine slows the degradation of muscles and muscle tissues through an inflated synthesis of muscle proteins. In the human body, leucine can be found in the liver, but most prominently in the muscle and adipose tissues, where it is utilized in production of sterols. In body building circles L-Leucine as a dietary supplement is very popular for all these properties, but also for the preservation of muscle glycogen, nitrogen balance maintenance and more.

L-Lysine is an essential amino acid obtainable from daily food sources we consume. It has many medicinal properties which benefit us in our daily lives. While it is mainly used in the treatment of herpes, it also helps us become stronger by building our muscle tissues. It helps us to recover form injuries and surgeries besides absorbing calcium for building healthy bones. It also regulates the production of antibodies, enzymes and hormones which are required for healthy immunity level. L-lysine when consumed in high doses can lead to serious conditions. Although L-lysine is important for good health, we never really realize we are consuming it. Deficiency of L-lysine causes lethargy, amnesia, enzyme disorders, reproductive problems and hair loss. Generally, L-lysine is present in all vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods. Fish and cereals have higher amount of L-lysine in them.

L-Methionine is an essential amino acid, actually an alpha amino acid, furthermore classified as nonpolar. This proteinogenic amino acid is the only one, besides cysteine, which contains sulfur. Methionine serves as an intermediate of phospholipids, such as phosphatidylcholine, but also lecithin, taurine, carnitine and cysteine. If methionine cannot be properly synthesized, the condition can lead to atherosclerosis. While it must be supplied with diet, this amino acid is deemed a powerful antioxidant, believed to be a scavenger of free radicals, and may assist with the breakdown of fats. Sources of L-Methionine include poultry and related products, including eggs, but also other meats, such as beef, cheese and fish. Methionine adenosyltransferase is converting methionine to S-adenosylmethionine, SAM, which in turn is involved in the creation of creatine, epinephrine, melatonin and further substances.

L-Phenylalanine gained notoriety with the aspartame controversy where extensive internet bombardment against the artificial sweetener prompted a thorough cleaning by The Coca Cola Company and other interest groups. Now it seems that aspartame has more benefits to health than aspirin. L-Phenylalanine is an essential alpha amino acid that is deemed analgesic and antidepressant. It is hydrophobic and nonpolar, one of only twenty common amino acids that are used to produce protein as coded by the DNA. L-Phenylalanine can also convert into L-Tyrosine, which can then become L-DOPA, going forth to become norepinephrine, dopamine or epinephrine. Phenylalanine is very often found in foods, protein rich foods like meat, milk and milk products, poultry and fish, but also as already mentioned in the artificial sweetener aspartame.

L-Proline is a proteinogenic alpha amino acid, one of only twenty amino acids that are DNA encoded for the forming of protein. It is not deemed essential because humans are able to synthesize it from the amino acid L-Glutamate. This unique member of the twenty protein building block amino acids is the only one of the group that is distinct as belonging to the secondary alpha amino group. L-Proline plays a role in the synthesis of collagen. Collagen is undeniably the most common protein in mammals, being found in skin, tendons, joints, ligaments, vasculature and bones. It is deemed good for the health of joints, when taken as a supplement. Low protein diets, vegetarian and vegan diets as well as malnutrition lead to diminished L-Proline levels.

L-Serine- Serine is an organic compound and a proteinogenic amino acid that is considered a building block for the creation of proteins. This member of the hydroxyl group and a polar amino acid is not essential and therefore it is not necessary to ingest it by means of diet. L-Serine can be synthesized from metabolites such as glycine. L-Serine plays a role in the biosynthesis of pyrimidines and purines, furthermore it is a precursor to many metabolites like sphingolipids and to amino acids like cysteine and glycine. It is also involved in catalytic functions of several enzymes. L-Serine can be transformed into D-Serine by the serine racemase, which functions as a neuronal signal and NMDA receptor activator in the brain, a vital glutamate receptor responsible for memory functions and synaptic plasticity.

L-Threonine- 2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid, or L-Threonine, an enantiomer of Threonine, which is an essential amino acid, needs to be ingested by way of diet, predominantly through Threonine containing proteins. There are two ways how Threonine can be metabolized, namely conversion into pyruvate by utilizing Threonine dehydrogenase, whereby an intermediate can thiolyze with CoA, producing acetyl-CoA and glycine; and the second possibility, where Threonine is changed into alpha-ketobutyrate, utilizing serine dehydratase, towards becoming succinyl-CoA. Succinyl CoA is a CAC intermediate, which means that it is a part of the citric acid cycle. The citric acid cycle is a vital part of the metabolic pathway which is securing the conversion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats towards usable energy. Foods containing Threonine are meat, poultry and fish and related products, cottage cheese, sesame seeds and lentils.

L-Tyrosine is a proteinogenic polar amino acid, deemed not essential because it can be synthesized by the human body. As a member of the amino acid group that is being used by cells to build proteins, this building block derived its name from the Greek word tyros, which means cheese, because it was discovered in the cheese protein casein. L-Tyrosine can be synthesized from phenylalanine and can be found in foods high on protein, like soy products, poultry, cheese, bananas, dairy products and several seeds, including the sesame seeds. The unique phenol functionality and the occurrence in proteins that belong to the signal transduction process, make this amino acid different. Tyrosine can be converted by tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme into levodopa, a psychoactive drug that is used, among other uses, for clinical treatment of Parkinson’s disease. It is also involved in the synthesis of dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine.

L-Valine is the third branched chain amino acid and is required for muscle metabolism, repairs and regenerates tissue, and maintains the body's nitrogen level. It also is used as a muscle energy source and preserves the use of glucose.

Taurine is found in high levels in the human heart and skeletal muscles. It is an amino sulfonic acid which is also present in the central nervous system and white blood cells. The human body produces this essential acid naturally so that it helps in absorbing vitamins and digesting fats. This acid reduces the problem of high blood pressure in adults and it is also being used for treating bipolar depression. Popularly known as a health supplement, Taurine has always been used in various health products. Bodybuilders are recommended to take Taurine along with creatine as it can prevent muscle soreness and fatigue. This amino acid is listed as one of the main supplemental ingredients in various energy drinks. For instance, drinks such as Rockstar and Monster, contain approximately 2000 mg of Taurine.

Vitamin B6, also known as Pyridoxine, plays an important role in the breakdown of protein, fats and carbohydrates. It helps in the production of antibodies that keeps the immune system strong. It promotes red blood cell (RBC) production. It alleviates the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or PMS such as headaches, bloating, depression, mood swings, and abdominal pains. Vitamin B6 also prevents the development of kidney stones. It also helps reduce the build-up of homocystein in the vessels that may cause hearth attack. Vitamin B6 is also beneficial in the overall nerve health. It also prevents or decreases the susceptibility to develop carpal tunnel syndrome.