Category Archives: L-cysteine / L-cystine

Glycine and Cysteine for Glutathione Synthesis?

Cellular glutathione levels are associated with health. As people age their glutathione levels drop and this is associated with increased mortality. That is not to say that low levels of glutathione are the cause of mortality, but higher levels are … Continue reading

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L-Cysteine Supplements

L-cysteine is a non-essential amino acid that can be incorporated into proteins. L-cysteine contains a thiol group (-SH) and this thiol group is responsible for the reactivity of cysteine and explains many of the biological roles it has. Because cysteine … Continue reading

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L-Theanine and L-Cystine: Immune Defence

L-theanine is a non-essential amino acid, the only known dietary source of significance being tea. L-cystine is a non-essential amino acid found in all protein foods. Both L-theanine and L-cystine have antioxidant effects in humans and animals. For cystine, this … Continue reading

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Homocysteine, Cysteine and Plasma Proteins

Homocysteine is a product of methionine metabolism. Evidence suggests that high levels of plasma homocysteine are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. As methionine metabolism proceeds, homocysteine is produced and this homocysteine is then converted to cysteine or back to … Continue reading

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Cysteine Enhances Non-Haem Iron Absorption

Haem iron is the iron found in the blood and muscle of animals in the molecules of haemoglobin and myoglobin, respectively. Generally this form of iron is very well absorbed because it is in the ferrous (Fe2+) form that is … Continue reading

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How To Improve Non-Haem Iron Absorption

Iron is the most abundant trace mineral in the body with the average person containing roughly 5 mg. Iron is rapidly metabolised and the high turnover of iron results in substantial daily losses explaining the high incidence of iron deficient … Continue reading

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SAM: Associated With Adiposity

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is an intermediate high energy compound of the methionine to homocysteine pathway. Methionine is an essential amino acid in human nutrition, and is derived mainly from animal protein in the diet of Westerners. Methionine is converted to SAM, … Continue reading

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Antioxidant Defences: Get Your Cysteine

Glutathione is a tripeptide synthesised from cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine. Glutathione is the primary water soluble antioxidant in both animal and plant tissues and in this role it protects cells from damage by oxidative stress. Glutathione can function as … Continue reading

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Iron Absorption: Increased by Protein

Iron is an important trace mineral required in humans for the correct function of the oxygen carrying haemoglobin and myoglobin molecules. Dietary iron is available as both haem and non-haem iron, and this can have a considerable influence on absorption. … Continue reading

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Sulfur Amino Acids and Immunity

Methionine and cysteine are essential and conditionally essential amino acids, respectively. Both contain sulphur as part of their R group and are important nutritionally with regard immune function. Methionine can be converted in the body to cysteine via the intermediary … Continue reading

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