L-glutamine

[egardner]

Bean, just so you know, I appreciated this post the first time around, and still do. Anything relavant to our bodies and disease is good to know; knowledge is power. LUAP- if you don't want suggestions, advice, etc., you don't belong on this board. That is what it is designed to do. Debating a "hot" topic is one thing, but I think we would all prefer you keep the sarcasm to a minimum, some of the things we have told each other on this board have made HUGE differences in people's daily life. I know I would have never even known I HAD celiac disease if I didn't begin using the board. Let's respect each other and all act like adults. Bean was simply passing along advice, the first time and the second, and I believe she made it pretty clear you should always follow up with your own research. I want people like her to keep posting and people like you to....well.....chill out!

[cmom]

Just purchased some l-glutamine. Couldn't remember the brand suggested here. This is Puritan's Pride. Don't have it with me so does anyone know if it's gluten-free? Did I do a bad thing? Thanks.

[Emme999]

Thank you to everyone who's said that they've appreciated my posts here. I spent a lot of time researching the claims from LUAP and just trying to find info on L-glutamine. It means a lot to me that people are able to use that info in their lives I hope that it helps you!

Forgive me for my rage in that last post please, I was really exhausted & simply didn't want to argue anymore. I never wanted to argue in the first place. I just wanted to present the information that I had and let people decide for themselves. But then I felt like a lot of things that were said about how l-glutamine is not a good idea weren't valid and wanted to clarify things.

I just got all wrapped up in this! Forgive me for being passionate

Anyway - thanks

- Michelle

p.s. Tiffany, Mike, Mandi, Elizabeth - thanks your insightful comments!

[Martyg]

Bean:

Cannot thank you enough for your research and information on L-glutamine. I began taking it about 3 years ago for my IBS-D which I have had since the early '60's. Sometimes I go for years without any problems, but stress seems to play a very big role.

I recently had bloodwork done to see if I had any sensitivity to gluten/wheat and the results came back with elavated levels. Doctor is going to repeat the tests on Friday and add, I believe, another one and see what happens.

I began to have questions about the safety of taking the l-glutamine and am glad that I was able to find the information that you researched so diligently. I am hoping that because I have taken it for some amount of time, that it is already helping if it turns out I have celiac. I have used the Vitamin Shoppe brand for years. Is there any way to find out if this brand is okay? I use the powder form and take 1/2 tsp in the morning. That amounts to over 2 grams.

I am a vegetarian for 30 years and a vegan for 7, also have a soy allergy, so this will be very interesting to see what I am able to eat.

Again, thank you for the information.

MartyG

[Emme999]

Martyg -

Thanks for the kind words

I haven't taken vitamin shoppe supplements (though I've ordered a lot of stuff from them!) so I'm not real sure how to answer your question. One thing to think about is if they guarantee the contents of their products. Also, be sure to check their source for the glutamine and that it is gluten-free. I use (and love) the Jarrow brand because it is (1) pharmaceutical grade, (2) assured to be safe - I received a letter from the company about it's purity / lack of gluten, and (3) Jarrow is a company that has (really!) affordable prices & superior quality. A friend of mine (one of the general managers at Wild Oats & a licensed dietician) told me that Jarrow received esteem from it's peers (competitors) as one of the top companies for effective supplements. And - major bonus - if you buy their stuff from webvitamins.com you get about 50% off on their l-glutamine powders. (Huge bonus!)

If I were in your position, I would definitely up the dosage to at least 5 grams a day. I take about 7 grams once or twice a day and have noticed really good things happening since I started taking it I had my *first* GI response to gluten! I'm not saying that it was fun - but I've been told by many people that the more "healed" you are, the more reactive you become. I never remember (in my whole life) having a reaction to gluten, but after taking about 14 grams of gluten a day for about a week, I had a definite sign after I'd ingested gluten (rather than just the emotional symptoms that I usually get). It was wild.

But there are really positive things that are happening since I started taking glutamine every day - my allergic reaction to my boyfriends dog has gone down significantly. Which is wierd, and I have no way to explain it - but I feel that it is somehow linked to the glutamine, as I've read that it helps with (airborne) allergies.

On the other hand - I've also become more reactive to the *foods* that I'm allergic to (that I didn't even know I was allergic to before, besides the blood test). This tells me that there are actually villi in my body to pick the allergenic substances up, where there was nothing before.

Anyway - best of luck to you

- Michelle

[Heather22]

I agree with you that glutamine is a beneficial supplement, given you take it properly. I am a bodybuilder and have been taking it for about 1 1/2 years. It has done wonders for me, and I surely notice a difference in my muscles when I stop. After reading about the benefits for a person with Celiac disease, my decision was reinforced.

I'm, glad that you brought it up!

H : )

Martyg -

Thanks for the kind words

I haven't taken vitamin shoppe supplements (though I've ordered a lot of stuff from them!) so I'm not real sure how to answer your question.  One thing to think about is if they guarantee the contents of their products.  Also, be sure to check their source for the glutamine and that it is gluten-free.  I use (and love) the Jarrow brand because it is (1) pharmaceutical grade, (2) assured to be safe - I received a letter from the company about it's purity / lack of gluten, and (3) Jarrow is a company that has (really!) affordable prices & superior quality.  A friend of mine (one of the general managers at Wild Oats & a licensed dietician) told me that Jarrow received esteem from it's peers (competitors) as one of the top companies for effective supplements.  And - major bonus - if you buy their stuff from webvitamins.com you get about 50% off on their l-glutamine powders.    (Huge bonus!) 

If I were in your position, I would definitely up the dosage to at least 5 grams a day.  I take about 7 grams once or twice a day and have noticed really good things happening since I started taking it   I had my *first* GI response to gluten!    I'm not saying that it was fun - but I've been told by many people that the more "healed" you are, the more reactive you become.  I never remember (in my whole life) having a reaction to gluten, but after taking about 14 grams of gluten a day for about a week, I had a definite sign after I'd ingested gluten (rather than just the emotional symptoms that I usually get).  It was wild. 

But there are really positive things that are happening since I started taking glutamine every day - my allergic reaction to my boyfriends dog has gone down significantly.  Which is wierd, and I have no way to explain it - but I feel that it is somehow linked to the glutamine, as I've read that it helps with (airborne) allergies. 

On the other hand - I've also become more reactive to the *foods* that I'm allergic to (that I didn't even know I was allergic to before, besides the blood test).  This tells me that there are actually villi in my body to pick the allergenic substances up, where there was nothing before. 

Anyway - best of luck to you  

- Michelle

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Jonesy]

I've been following this topic with great interest because my Nutritionist put me on L-glutamine for 6 months. I went to her for help in gaining weight long before I was dx'd with celiac disease. The product she sold is made by "Designs for Health." 1 tsp is a serving of 3,000 mg.

I found the Jarrow L-glutamine online as Michelle suggested. I'm wondering which powder I should buy. One is 2 grams and the other is 750 grams. Assuming 1000 mgs = 1 gram, my present product would give me 3 grams a day. However, I have not yet called Designs.......... to ask if it's gluten-free. The container says " Designs.............Glutamine powder is 100% pure and contains no binders or fillers. This product does not contain wheat, yeast, corn, dairy products or preservatives". Sounds okay to me.

My Nutritionist took the Summer off and has not made herself available, so I'd like your opinions: I figure I'll use this product until it's gone and then get the Jarrow brand (which is way cheaper) My Nutritionist took her leave of absence before I was dx'd and does not know about my celiac disease. My villi were totally flat according to the Endoscopy report in June, so now I'm wondering just how much of this product should I be taking to advance the healing. I'm already 77 years old and don't know if I have 2 to 5 years for the gut to heal, so I want to do the best I can to heal. I want to live long enough to model the gluten-free diet for my children and grandchildren (who have yet to be tested).

Does my size and weight factor in deciding how many grams to take a day? Any ideas? I am 5'1" and weight 80 lbs.

I stopped taking L-glutamine after my diagnosis because I figured if my gut isn't digesting my food, anything I put in my mouth isn't going to make much difference. Don't get me wrong - I am gluten-free for a month now and feeling better as long as I get enough food to keep me going. I'm also taking the supplements the Nutritionist recommended twice daily. I do a lot better if I get some good carbs like rice (protein and some fat, too, of course.)

After reading this post, I started taking the L-glutamine again. I'm wondering if I should have my GP take a blood panel and look for Nutritional deficiencies. We have no idea how long I've had celiac disease, but I have been sick now for almost 2 years, following a severe case of Shingles.

I sure appreciate all the helpful information on this Msg. board. I feel good about the new direction my life has taken since I have an answer to my illness and a solution for getting well. Most of all, I'm happy to stop the cycle of illness in the family by educating the children and grandchildren who might also be celiac disease.

Thanks for any guidance you can give me.

Maryellen

[Emme999]

Okay - dosage: James Braly, M.D., and Ron Hoggan - authors of "Dangerous Grains" suggest therapeutic 9-20 grams daily in divided doses for therapeutic effects. Be absolutely sure to take it on an empty stomach for optimal absorption (30 min. before eating or 2 hours after).

As for which Jarrow product you should buy - the number of grams contained is simply related to the size of the dose you take

Your product sounds fine to me - if it's 100% pure with no fillers, I don't know where they could possibly have snuck the gluten in

I know how you feel - about stopping taking supplements because "if my gut isn't digesting my food, anything I put in my mouth isn't going to make much difference" - but that's exactly the reason that you *need* supplements! If your body is absorbing very little of what you ingest, you need to ingest a lot to absorb more than a little L-glutamine is specifically absorbed through the intestines - it doesn't affect your villi from the bloodstream, so it's really important that you take it on an empty stomach. From all that I've read, it will improve intestinal absorption of other nutrients after it helps the villi to heal. This, of course, wont happen over a matter of days - so don't give up!

My goal was to do 10-20 g/day for 4-6 weeks. That seems to be the most common course of action I've seen recommended for serious intestinal problems. But then I (accidentally) glutened myself - for a week! (Those Tropicana Bastards! ) And so I've started over. In reality, I probably get between 8 & 16 grams a day. Depending on whether or not I remember to take it at night But I'm going to be more diligent because I think I really messed up my progress with the Tropicana contamination.

I think it's wonderful that you said, "I'm happy to stop the cycle of illness in the family by educating the children and grandchildren who might also be celiac disease." Bless you Maryellen

- Michelle

[Jonesy]

Thanks Michelle

Your information is very helpful. I have found all your posts either amusing, or extremely helpful - both which I enjoy.

Thanks for confirming that my present L-glutamine product is probably okay. When it's gone, however, I'll order the Jarrow because the price differential is significant

I'm happy to report that when I went for my pro-time today, I had gained a whole pound. In the 10 months I've gone to that Dr. I had not gained 1 lb. I get a pro-time check every month, so that weight gain has been in the 1 month I've been gluten-free. Yay! so something is getting through those intestines.

I will follow your directions to take L-Glutamine on an empty stomach 30 minutes before eating or 2 hrs after. My Nutritionist had me adding it to my smoothies, and said nothing about an empty stomach.

Thanks again.

Maryellen

[Guest BellyTimber]

To the post that referred to glutamate and excitotoxins (e.g MSG) what I was told was that glutamates compete with and supplant (chuck out and replace) L-glutamine. They are the false form of the compound that seems to fit, biochemically, but does no good or rather harms - similar to the good and bad fats principle (hydrogenated, bleached etc being bad, natural ones handled carefully being good in suitable proportions).

Hence the need to avoid the bad as it will always lessen the supply of the good.

I presume the glutamine turning into glutamate will only happen when you have too much - I have not heard of this happening so don't know what applicability this situation has. It appears from our stories and my own experience too that quite a lot of people with our sort of problems feel better on it than off it.

Starting on it again,

[Nevadan]

Hello  

This first part is from Ron Hoggan & James Braly (authors of Dangerous Grains):

Glutamine for Villous Atrophy and a Leaky Gut

L-glutamine, the most abundant amino acid in the blood, brain, and skeletal muscle, is a tasteless, nontoxic, conditionally essential amino acid that appears to be showing promise in the treatment of celiac disease.  Research demonstrates that glutamine is the primary fuel for the lining of the small instestine and immune system. 

When given in therapeutic doses (9-20) grams a day in divided doeses), it also releases growth hormone and increases the production of a powerful, detoxifying, antioxidant enzyme called glutathione peroxidase.  Glutamine also seems to protect the intestinal lining from the destructive action of alcohol, NSAIDS, and aspirin.  It has been reported that glutamine is now the most popular anti-ulcer medication in Asia because it heals and helps prevent peptic ulcers.  In a recent study in Japan, 92 percent of ulcer patients given 1,600 mg of glutamine a day showed complete healing of duodenal and peptic ulcers in four weeks.  It is also currently being administered intravenously to patients receiving major abdominal and bone marrow surgery, therapy for third-degree burns, and chemotherapy or radiation for cancer.

From our perspecitive, the single most promising benefit of glutamine is that, when removed from the diet, it may prevent and reverse villous atrophy, a leaky gut, and the malabsorption of nutrients so commonly seen in celiac disease and Crohn's disease. 

We would conjecture that glutamine's primary value will not be to substitute a gluten-free diet, but to help accelerate healing when initially going off gluten and to lessen intestinal inflammation when gluten is inadvertently or intentionally reintroduced back into the diet. 

More to come..

- Michelle

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Michelle,

This is a very interesting thread. All research is appreciated.

You quoted a passage in "Dangerous Grains" that has perplexed me since I first read it. In the "From our perspective....." paragraph did they mean "added to" instead of "removed", or am I missing something?

I know this is a small technicality, but it has been bugging me for a long time.

Thanks for any comments.

George

[Claire]

So does nobody care about this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are a 'researcher' after my own heart. I so wish people would read more, search more - there is so much to learn.

I took L-glutamine for a year and when the subject of endoscopy came up I was told to forget it - that in a year any evidence of intestinal damage would be gone.

As I have been on a gluten restricted diet (not free) for 15 years I couldn't get a valid blood test either.

Genetic test results should be back next week.

Be aware that the jury is still out on the implications of L-glutamine for people with gluten induced or aggravated neurological disorders - especially ataxia. Claire

[LUAP]

honestly, i am tired of that subject...

i am going to ask you just two question.

1) How do they refine L-Glutamine?

There is rumor about the use of saccaromyce yeast to do so. that rumor could be true, considering the fact that saccaromyce yeast contain glutamine, as well as aspergillus niger in itself.

You know that saccaromyce yeast are recognized to inflict diabetes in people (diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and made possible by a leaky gut syndrome. You can learn that if you read Infectious diabetes by Doug Kaufmann.

2) So...if you had the choice to eat glutamine, choice between an artificial food that you don't know how it has been produced, or a natural way (by eating meat), what do you think would be the best choice for you?

like i have mentioned earlier, meat contain 15% of glutamine. You are desperate about getting your villi back. Well, why don't you get on a low carb diet. you are not going to lack glutamine anymore...never again.

[Guest katzmeow21]

I think it is always a good idea to research both sides of the story. Here are some good sites:

Open Original Shared Link 

Open Original Shared Link

It may be a good idea to get glutamine levels checked, and if they are low, then talk to your doctor about taking supplements.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So glad this topic has come up. I will share my experience so far with L-glutamine.

I started taking it in May this year and within a few days started experiences muscle twitching/spasms in leg calves mostly but also all over body. It would almost feel like popcorn popping in the legs. I also had more anxiety, buzzing feeling in the lower body, weakness and heaviness in the legs. It progressively got worse as time went on and eventually I tried to figure out what I was doing different. The only thing I could think of was the L-glutamine. I started to research and came upon the Mercola/ Blaylock report on the possibilities of it being an excitotoxin to the neurological system. It seems that it is not so for everyone BUT if you have an inability to convert it properly and it builds up then

problems can be severe. It seems that people who have MS especially do not have the ability to convert it properly and this can be the outcome. Anyway I stopped taking it and it took several weeks of taking curcumin. I read in an article about aspartame and MS that to calm the system/microglia that by taking minocycline or similar things that calm the system, like silymarin, curcumin and ibuprohen. The reason I went through this MS info was because my dad had MS for years and the possibilities are there....(even thought I AM NOT going

there)

So I took curcumin for several weeks and it slowly went away.

Now since being diagnosed with celiac in mid August my MD/ND said to take L-glutamine because it helps to heal leaky gut syndrome (which of course we know leads to multiple other food allergies besides being gluten intolerant.

Anyway I was afraid to take it, told them. The Doc said maybe try just a tiny amount and if it happens again we can do a test to see if your body does not break it down properly. So I/ve tried it again in very small amount 250mg a day in a drink and I immediately started up again, not as severe but it is all there.

Moral of this story is we are all unique, For some it is probably the best thing ever as it does heal the stomach lining to stop leaky gut in its tracks in large doses and yet for others it is a poison/exitotoxin. So if in doubt look into getting a test done.

That is my next step

By the way Dr. Blaylock was a neurosurgeon for 25 years and he has seen it first hand. He does not banish it for all but for those of us who can't handle it ....it can poison our nervous system

regards-mj

.

[Claire]

honestly, i am tired of that subject...

i am going to ask you just two question.

1) How do they refine L-Glutamine?

2) So...if you had the choice to eat glutamine, choice between an artificial food that you don't know how it has been produced, or a natural way (by eating meat), what do you think would be the best choice for you?

like i have mentioned earlier, meat contain 15% of glutamine. You are desperate about getting your villi back. Well, why don't you get on a low carb diet. you are not going to lack glutamine anymore...never again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Glutamine is not an artificial food. It is used extensively in sports medicine, recommended by many GI specialist for it's remarkable performance in healing intestinal lesions (leaky gut).

Some neurologists have reservation about significant supplementation for patients with MS or other neurological conditions especially those involving the cerebellum.

Definition of L-glutamine follows:

• A Nujuvenis™ GH Releaser ingredient L-Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acids in the muscle and plays many important roles in the body. Research indicates that L-Glutamine is a pro-anabolic essential amino acid and is the most important variable in promoting optimum protein synthesis. Steady L-Glutamine supplementation has been shown to prevent muscle tissue breakdown (anti-catabolic effect) and promotes cell volume maintenance. ...

www.always-youthful.com/definitions/l.shtml

• Is the most abundant amino acid in the human body and the most recent to generate excitement as a hGF releaser. L-Glutamine, a free-form amino acid, is also the most common naturally-occurring amino acid found in muscle tissue. Glutamine influences protein synthesis, glycogen storage, and boosts the immune system. It is the link between strength, stamina, and muscle development.

www.4yh.com/glossary.asp

Claire

[eLaurie]

Bumping this thread up to say I'm about to try l-glutamine.

Thanks for all the info presented in the thread, both positive and negative. Kudos to bean for keeping to posting about the positives in a ...well... 'positive' posting style.

[marlene57]

I have just read your post and went and ordered the l-glutamine. I'm excited to get it and see if it helps my digestive problems.

I've also done some research to see if it's safe. Here's an excerpt from a site I found:

However, the use of glutamine as a free amino acid has never been associated with any form of brain damage. Glutamine is in fact abundantly produced in the brain as a vital defense against ammonia and also against excess glutamate. The main defense against glutamate excitotoxicity is the synthesis of glutamine by cells called the glia, or more specifically, astroglia or astrocytes. They are most abundant type of cell in the central nervous system exhibiting high amounts of glutamine synthase. The healthy brain is very well equipped to deal with glutamate. But, when the brain is damaged due to stroke or injury or the accumulation of various neurotoxins including certain drugs, the stage is set for glial dysfunction and hence for glutamate excitotoxicity.

Here is a link to the site:

Open Original Shared Link

From what I've read, I think it's certainly worth a try.

Thank you for the info,

Marlene57

[Marlene]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents to this discussion. I have a bottle of L-Glutamine at home which indicates on the label that you should not take it if you have hepatic encephalopathy which is a liver condition. Since some of us have liver dysfunction of one sort or another, I would advise that anyone who wants to take a supplement should ask their health care provider first (whether that be a MD, Naturopath, Homeopathic doctor, etc.) It also states on the label that you should not take it if you react to MSG or are pregnant or nursing.

I understand how exciting it can be when one of us finds a supplement that does wonders for us. However, I think we all have to apply it to our own situation as has been previously stated. The bottom line us that we all want to be better and we all want to help each other get better. Let's hope we all get there soon!!

Take care,

Marlene

[mftnchn]

Thanks for this discussion, my doctor just suggested I start taking this.

[mftnchn]

Beyond A Century has L-glutamine, and they told me this and all their amino acids are absolutely gluten free.

[minidanas]

"From our perspecitive, the single most promising benefit of glutamine is that, when removed from the diet, it may prevent and reverse villous atrophy, a leaky gut, and the malabsorption of nutrients so commonly seen in celiac disease and Crohn's disease"

Michelle, is that a typo or I don't understand? I skimmed the thread and it seems that eating glutamine is good, but the above statement seems to indicate that removing glutamine from diet is good, i.e. its absense is good, thus making the presense of glutamine bad. Can someone explain this to me? My English isn't good. TIA

[Ridgewalker]

This is an old thread from 2005, and a lot of the people in it don't post anymore. But I'm pretty sure that was some kind of typo! L-glutamine has helped a lot of people.

[karen McIntosh]

I have just started to use glutamine powder twice a day after consulting one of the nutrition advisors at Whole Foods! I am celiac and had major abdominal surgery over a year ago, and ever since then have suffered from extreme digestive/bowel distress. I am already beginning to notice an improvement after only one week. It is also beneficial for building muscle when working out on a regular basis, and helps the immune system.........It is so very important for celiacs to do whatever they can to lessen the chances of damage to the intestines, and even though we try to adhere to a strictly gluten-free diet, there are so many hidden sources of gluten out there! If anyone has anymore good tips or supplements they are taking to make life better, please share! Thanks.

[rahorus]

pls anyone tried Scitec nutrition L-glutamine? Is it gluten-free?

[Gox]

Hey bean, thanks for posting this, I had similar experience with l-Glutamine, while I was training I was taking it as well and it lowered my allergy symptoms a lot, I continued taking it after I stopped training for a while but some friends put me of saying that it only should be taken while training and I stopped, what straightway happened is return of my allergy symptoms regardless of doctors help... then I never thought that l-Glutamine may be the difference but now when I read this I and thinking back it agrees with what I though initially and should have stick with, thanks again I will be starting this and will let you know how it goes, btw I had many allergic problems I even got to angioedema once...