It promotes wound healing and regeneration of the liver. It also promotes the release of hormones including glucagon, insulin, and growth hormone. This effect of arginine on growth hormones has led body builders to experiment with this amino acid to assist muscle growth. Arginine also helps remove excess ammonia from the body, stimulates the immune function and may act as a natural blood thinner by reducing platelet aggregation and may help cholestrol level regulation. Arginine is also needed to increase protein synthesis, which can in turn increase cellular replication. Some studies have shown that men with low sperm counts experienced an increase in the number of sperm when supplemented with arginine. Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide, which the body uses to keep blood vessels dilated, allowing the heart to receive adequate oxygen. Researchers have begun to use arginine in people with angina and congestive heart failure.
Good sources of Arginine
dairy products
meat
poultry
fish
nuts
We have sorted our nutrition database by
foods high in arginine. So you can easily see how much is contained in different foods. You can also search through our database using the search box below or browse the Arginine content by food category.
Arginine in foods - by food category
