For patients with confirmed COVID
Glutamine
Did you supplement it?
Hello. This is Esther Yeo.
Recently, there was a report on the use of this amino acid in the treatment of patients with confirmed COVID-19. It's called glutamine [1].
Out of a total of 381 COVID-confirmed patients, 60 patients with no underlying diseases such as cardiovascular, neurological, or psychiatric disorders were screened and divided into two groups with similar age, gender, and clinical status. All other things being equal, one group was given a glutamine supplement and the other group was not.
The result? Those who supplemented with glutamine had a shorter hospital stay, required intensive care and died less than those who did not.
glutamine
The hidden hero of the immune system.
But isn't it a bit strange that amino acids, that is, nutrients, were used in the process of treating COVID-19 instead of drugs? Glutamine, a non-essential amino acid synthesized in the body.
In fact, glutamine is hardly just a nutrient. This is because it plays a fairly wide range of roles in the immune system. As the main source of energy for intestinal mucosal cells, it can activate intestinal immunity and intervene in various cell-mediated immune responses such as lymphocyte proliferation and interferon production. Therefore, the aforementioned study also states that glutamine supplementation in the early stages of a COVID infection may have helped strengthen the immune system.
So, what is the use of glutamine in the medical field?
2 Ways to Use Glutamine in Hospitals
First, it is used to protect the intestinal mucosa.
In situations of severe stress, such as various gastrointestinal diseases, tumors, and HIV/AIDS virus infections, the amount of glutamine used is higher than the amount synthesized, and the concentration in the body decreases. Therefore, it is also classified as a conditionally essential amino acid. For critically ill patients with reduced overall body function, glutamine is used as an enteral nutrient solution to prevent atrophy of intestinal mucosal cells and to maintain their function intact.
Secondly, it is also used in patients with severe burns or trauma.
In fact, in patients with severe burns or trauma, hypercatabolism and increased protein consumption are caused by systemic inflammatory responses, resulting in malnutrition. At this time, the administration of glutamine can prevent the depletion of glutathione, an antioxidant in the body, and suppress the inflammatory response by reducing the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. In fact, ESPEN (European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism) recommends prescribing glutamine to patients with burns and trauma [2].
glutamine
It's good to eat it like this.
You can also take it if you have digestive inflammation or ulcers caused by it. Numerous human and animal studies have shown that glutamine supplementation can help reduce inflammation in the digestive tract [3] [4] [5] [6]. Of course, a specialist's diagnosis and prescription of medication should be the basis.
So, what foods can you supplement with? First of all, it is also abundant in cabbage, which is well known to be effective in relieving esophagitis and gastritis. It's also found in foods such as meat and seafood, legumes, eggs, and milk, which are commonly recognized as sources of protein, and, unexpectedly, in green vegetables such as parsley, celery, and kale.
Today, we're going to talk about glutamine, which plays an important role in the immune system. As I have always said, it is not possible to cure diseases with nutrients, but it can be beneficial as an adjunct therapy in combination with proper medical treatment. If you have any further questions about glutamine, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you as always.
References
[1] Cengiz M, Borku Uysal B, Ikitimur H, Ozcan E, Islamoğlu MS, Aktepe E, Yavuzer H, Yavuzer S. Effect of oral l-Glutamine supplementation on Covid-19 treatment. Clin Nutr Exp. 2020 Oct;33:24-31.
[2] Kreymann KG, Berger MM, Deutz NE, Hiesmayr M, Jolliet P, Kazandjiev G, Nitenberg G, van den Berghe G, Wernerman J; DGEM, Ebner C, Hartl W, Heymann C, Spies C; ESPEN. ESPEN Guidelines on Enteral Nutrition: Intensive care. Clin Nutr. 2006 Apr; 25(2):210-23.
[3] Yan R, Sun Y, Sun R. [Early enteral feeding and supplement of glutamine prevent occurrence of stress ulcer following severe thermal injury]. Zhonghua Zheng Xing Shao Shang wai ke za zhi = Zhonghua Zheng Xing Shao Shang Waikf [i.e. Waike] Zazhi = Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery and Burns. 1995 May; 11(3):189-192.
[4] Okabe S, Takeuchi K, Honda K, Takagi K: Effects of Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA), ASA plus L-Glutamine and L-Glutamine on Healing of Chronic Gastric Ulcer in the Rat. Digestion 1976;14:85-88.
[5] Takagi, K., & Okabe, S. (1968). The Effects Of Drugs On The Production And Recovery Processes Of The Stress Ulcer. Japanese Journal of Pharmacology, 18(1), 9-18.
[6] Susan J. Hagen, Masa Ohtani, Jin-Rong Zhou, Nancy S. Taylor, Barry H. Rickman, George L. Blackburn, James G. Fox, Inflammation and Foveolar Hyperplasia Are Reduced by Supplemental Dietary Glutamine during Helicobacter pylori Infection in Mice, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 139, Issue 5
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