[Effects of Poly-gamma Glutamic Acid] 3 Benefits of Poly-gamma Glutamic Acid, Which Increases Calcium Absorption

Hello, I am Jinny, a pharmacist.

You may have heard from a young age that taking calcium will make your bones stronger. However, calcium is not absorbed as well as other nutrients, so it is very important to increase the absorption rate. ‘Poly-gamma glutamic acid’ introduced today is a unique ingredient that helps the absorption of calcium.

Poly-gamma-glutamic acid is a mucilage component found in fermented soybean foods such as Cheonggukjang and natto, and has been recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as having the ability to ‘help promote calcium absorption in the body.’ Let’s take a closer look through various research papers.

Calcium is mostly absorbed in the small intestine. Poly-gamma-glutamic acid can increase calcium solubility in the small intestine and improve paracellular transport, in which substances move using the space between cells. Thus, poly-gamma glutamic acid helps increase calcium absorption.

A paper published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2007 reported that administering poly-gamma-glutamic acid to postmenopausal women increased calcium absorption.

Other studies have also shown that calcium absorption increases when poly-gamma-glutamic acid is consumed.

A paper published in the Journal of the Agricultural Chemical Society of Japan in 2003 explains that urinary calcium increased when polygamma-glutamic acid was consumed, which is an indicator of increased calcium absorption.

GABA is a representative inhibitory neurotransmitter synthesized from glutamic acid. GABA promotes brain metabolism and circulation, stabilizes the mind, and induces sound sleep. Consuming polygamma-glutamic acid increases the concentrations of glutamic acid and GABA in serum and brain tissue.

A paper was published in Nutrition Research and Practice in 2021 reporting the results of increased sleep time and improved sleep quality in subjects who consumed poly-gamma glutamic acid and vitamin B6 supplements.

Today we looked at the benefits of consuming poly-gamma glutamic acid. Lastly, I will tell you about other ways to increase calcium absorption. Vitamin D helps calcium absorption in small intestine mucosal cells, so consuming vitamin D helps increase calcium absorption. And since calcium and phosphorus have the property of interfering with the absorption of the other when the amount of one is large, it is recommended to consume calcium and phosphorus in similar proportions during meals.

I hope you have a healthy day both physically and mentally. This was Jinny