This excellent book is a valuable guide to the therapeutic use of amino acids. It explains how amino acids function as the building blocks of protein, and lists the metabolic paths of the amino acids, the qualities of the individual amino acids and the disease states in which amino therapy can be helpful. The author discusses the essential aminos (that the body needs to get from food) and the non-essential ones (that are made in the body), and how these relate and interact with one another. The co-factors (vitamins, minerals and trace elements) of the individual amino acids are covered in detail.
The author provides valuable information on the therapeutic application of amino acid therapy, including a summary of therapeutic dosages and cautions. Some of the uses include treatment of depression (DL-Phenylalanine, L-Tyrosine), insomnia (Tryptophan), cold sores (L-Lycine), detoxification (L-Cysteine, Glutathione) and wound healing (L-Arginine and L-Glutamine).
An appendix provides the amino acid content of certain common foods (besides meat, other excellent sources are eggs, milk, yoghurt and chocolate). The book also provides the contact details of various organisations and contains a thorough index. I also recommend he Amino Revolution by Robert Erdmann and Meirion Jones.
