Dr. Henry Sobo offered a post for this site entitled, What are Amino Acids? and it garnered quite a reaction. It’s fairly technical, however, as only a Doctor can provide. Hopefully this will simplify things somewhat. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
What are Amino Acids?
An amino acid is an organic molecule containing a carboxyl and amino group, which also serves as monomers of polypeptides. Linked with hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, amino acids are the building blocks for proteins. This organic molecule is an essential group for proteins, and essential for human growth. Amino acids go through a long process to make a protein molecule. This process is called a translation. By a standard deemed accurate by scientists, the amino acids are read through a genetic code, translating it into an mRNA template.
Amino acids can be classified into essential and nonessential. The essential amino acids are incapable of being produced by the human body; therefore we must obtain them through outside sources, like food. Nonessential amino acids are those that the human body can produce; as a result, we don’t need to obtain them through outside sources. Both types of amino acids are required by the human body, in growth, digestion, repair, and other such functions.
Reiterating the issue with modern culture today.
There are many advertisements today for medications of all varieties, but what we don’t realize are their side effects. Addiction, dependency, and medical costs are significant side effects of those “advertisements” and a plentiful supply of “magic pills”. The side effects can be detrimental to our health; you might see a sad, depressed individual suddenly optimistic and happy after using medication. It can create an illusion that might not play out in reality. The “miraculous ability to solve” our problems might seem real by television standards, for example, but there is a reality check that needs to take place. Side effects could occur, and they could be even worse than the original condition. Will the benefits outweigh the risks? Will you become addicted to the medication, are you dependent on the prescriptions, or are you resolute in your decision to not go without?
What are Amino Acids? A tool to heal?
Our bodies are equipped with the tools to heal itself, to fix many problems; adding medication can sometimes disrupt that. Doctors can prescribe antidepressant medications, for example, under small doses, but will those small doses become greater and greater where the problem eventually becomes so massive, it becomes irreversible? Amino acids holds the keys for neurotransmitters (chemical signals that comes from neurons in your body that travel to target cells in the brain through tunnels called synapses). Serotonin is one such neurotransmitter equipped with the making of many roles, one being the influence of mood. With antidepressants, serotonin levels may become out of whack. To compensate, doctors may try to increase the dose, thus counterbalancing the amino acids in an effort to relieve the symptoms of depression. It could be an endless cycle.
Numerous studies and research have shown that amino acids, used properly, can treat conditions of depression and anxiety.
If you would like to learn more about what are amino acids and see how these treatments and others could work for you or a loved one, please contact Dr. Sobo’s office in Stamford, CT at 203-348-8805.
I hope this has been helpful.
Best to you!
– Drew
PS: Again, please contact Dr. Sobo for more about what are amino acids and how they can be a more appropriate, non-toxic approach for neurochemical balance today!