This document discusses 8 essential amino acids: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Each section provides information on the amino acid's functions in the body, food sources, potential deficiency symptoms if intake is inadequate, and possible overdose effects from excessive intake. The amino acids are building blocks of proteins and play various important roles in growth, tissue repair, hormone production, and neurological functioning.

1. Essential Amino acids
1. Trytophan,
2. Lysine,
3. Methionine,
4. Phenylalaine,
5. Threonine,
6. Valine,
7. Leucine,
8. Isoleucine,

2. 1. Isoleucine
Functions
• Needed for haemaglobin formation
• Needed to stabilizing and regulating blood
sugar levels
• Helps to maintain and regulate regular energy
levels
• Needed to help maintain and repair muscle
tissue

3. Food source
• Found in beef, chicken, chickpeas, eggs, fish,
lentiles, rye, soy beans, almonds, milk, and
pumpkin seeds.
Deficiency
May be associated with poor growth, muscle
tremors, twitching of muscles and diabetes
Possible Overdose effect
May result in high ammonia levels and an
hypoglycemic state

4. 2. Leucine
Functions
• Stimulates insulin release
• Promotes wound healing
• Increases growth hormone production
• Regulates muscle protein synthesis
• Lowers brain levels of serotonin and dopamine
• Necessary for the optimal growth of infants and
for the nitrogen balance in adults.

5. Food Source
• Found in brown rice, beans, meat, soy flour, whole
wheat, fish, eggs, liver, chicken, corn almonds, and
cashews
Deficiency
May cause or be associated with poor growth.
Possible Overdose effect
May contribute to pellagra and increase ammonia
levels in the body, therefore moderation is called
for.

6. 3. Lysine
Functions
• Building block for all proteins
• Needed for proper growth and bone development in
children
• Forms an important component of hormonal proteins
• Assists collagen formation and enzymes
• Aids in the production of antibodies
• Aids in tissue repair
• Aids in carnitine synthesis
• Helps the body absorb and conserve calcium
• Well known for its ability to prevent or overcome cold sore
outbreaks
• It lowers serum triglyceride levels

7. Food Source
• Found in fish, chicken, brewers yeast, cheese, eggs,
mung bean sprouts, soy and lima beans, and red
meat
Deficiency
May be associated with anaemia, irritability, inability to
concentrate, loss of weight, decreased growth, loss
of bone calcium, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, infertility,
poor immune function
Possible Overdose effect
May cause stomach cramps or diarrhea. In very large
doses (10 to 30 grams a day), will increases the
toxicity of aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as
gentamicin, neomycin, and streptomycin.

8. 4. Methionine
Functions
• Aids in the breakdown of fats preventing the development of
atherosclerosis
• Good source of sulfur which inactivates free radicals
• It helps to detoxify heavy metals
• It reduces histamine levels benefiting allergy sufferers
• Involved in the synthesis of choline
• Helps to initiate translation of messenger RNA
• Supplies sulfur and other compounds required by the body
for normal metabolism and growth
• Reacts with adenosine triphosphate to form S-adenosyl
methionine – which is principal methyl donor in the body and
contributes to the synthesis of many important substances,
including epinephrine and choline.

9. Food Source
• Eggs, beans, garlic, onions, meat, fish,lentils,
soybeans, seeds, sardines and yoghurt.
Deficiency
May be associated with atherosclerosis, poor
immunity, loss of appetite ,and choline deficiency
Possible Overdose effect
Excessive methionine intake, together with
inadequate intake of folic acid, vitamin B6, and
vitamin B12, can increase the conversion of
methionine to homocysteine—a substance linked
to cardiovascular disease

10. 5. Phenylalanine
Function
• It is a precursor of tyrosine, which leads to the synthesis
of dopamine, or adrenalin, thyroxine and melanin
• Capable of elevating mood, and decreasing pain
• Forms a constituent of enkephalins which are naturally
occurring opinoid compounds
• Exhibit ultraviolet radiation absorption properties with a
large extinction coefficient
• part of the composition of aspartame, a common
sweetener found in prepared foods (particularly soft
drinks, and gum)
• plays a key role in the biosynthesis of other amino acids
and some neurotransmitters.

11. Food Source
• soy beans, cottage cheese, fish, meat, nuts and
lentils
Deficiency
Rare metabolic disorder, eczema, developmental delay,
an abnormally small head, hyperactivity
symptoms include confusion, emotional agitation,
depression, decreased alertness, decreased
memory, behavioral changes, decreased sexual
interest, bloodshot eyes, and cataracts. If not
corrected by supplemental dietary phenylalanine
and tyrosine, the deficiency may lead to restricted
weight gain and stunted growth, osteopenia,
anemia, alopecia, and even death.

12. Possible Overdose effect
• Toxicity is rare in dietary intake but large
amounts in supplement form may play havoc
with your blood pressure and cause
headaches, nausea and heartburn.
• Large amounts of this nutrient may also cause
nerve damage.
• Toxicity symptoms include increased blood
pressure and emotional agitation, insomnia,
headaches, and tyrosine toxicity.

13. 6. Threonine
Functions
• Help to maintain protein balance in the body
• Plays an important role in the formation of collagen and
elastin
• Essential precursor of glycine, and serine
• Aids lipotropic function which helps to prevent fatty
liver
• Is an immuino stimulant aiding in the production of
antibodies
• An important component in the formation of tooth
enamel
• Important for production of neurotransmitters and
health of the nervous system

14. Food Source
• eggs, meat, milk, cheese and pork, dairy foods,
grains, mushrooms, and leafy vegetables
Deficiency
Symptoms of threonine deficiency include emotional
agitation, confusion, digestion difficulties and fatty
liver
Possible overdose effect
can disrupt liver function, and cause the formation of
too much urea, and consequently ammonia toxicity,
in your body.

15. 7. Tryptophan
Functions
• A precursor of Vitamin B3, melatonin, and
serotonin- in this way it acts as a mood
stabilizer, assists sleep, and helps to control
hyperactivity in children.
• Relieves minor premenstrual symptoms
• Soothes nerves and anxiety
• Reduces carbohydrate cravings
• Involved in vasopressure regulation

16. Food Source
• Brown rice, soy protein, meat, peanuts, pumpkin
seeds, fish, sesame seeds, chocolate, oats, bananas,
dried dates, milk, cottage cheese, turkey. Less
concentration is available in corn, cereal grains,
legumes (peas and beans), flesh foods, eggs, dairy
products, some nuts and seeds
Deficiency
Because tryptophan supplies part of vitamin B3 in the
body, deficiency can increase risk of vitamin B3
deficiency. Deficiency in diet enhances the progress
of the vitamin-deficiency disease pellagra. may lead
to depression, insomnia, schizophrenia, suicidal
thoughts and carbohydrate craving, contributing
factor to heart artery spasms.

17. Possible Overdose effect
• Overdose include agitation, confusion,
diarrhea, fever, overactive reflexes, poor
coordination, restlessness, shivering,
sweating, alking or acting with excitement you
cannot control, trembling or shaking,
twitching, and vomiting.

18. 8. Valine
Functions
• Needed for tissue repair
• Needed for muscle metabolism
• Needed to maintain nitrogen balance in the body
• Useful in treatments involving muscle, mental, and emotional
upsets and for insomnia and nervousness.
• Help treat malnutrition associated with drug addiction
• Promote normal growth
• Repair tissues
• Regulate blood sugar
• Provide the body with energy.
• Helps stimulate the central nervous system
• Needed for proper mental functioning

19. Food Source
• Soy flour, fish, beef, lamb, chicken, almonds,
chick peas, lima beans, mushrooms. grains, and
dairy products, peanuts, and soy protein
Deficiency
May also affect the myelin covering of the nerves,
and cause degenerative neurological conditions.
Possible Overdose effect
May cause a skin crawling sensation and even
hallucinations, can also disrupt liver and kidney
function and increase the amount of ammonia in
the body