Amino Acids 20 - Plasma

Amino Acid testing—Assessing the Body's Fundamental Building Blocks

Additional Resources:

• Bloodspot Patient Brief
• Amino Acids Patient Brief
• Article on "The Importance of Sulfur Amino Acids"

The Amino Acids Plasma 20 Profile

The Amino Acids 20 Profile can illuminate problems in amino acid status by determining essential amino acid imbalances. Evaluation of essential amino acid derivatives identifies the status of essential, branched chain, and other non-essential amino acids. Also, several functional categories, such as neuroendocrine, vascular and detoxification, and functional vitamin and mineral deficiencies are reported.

Plasma Amino Acids

Fasting plasma levels represent a homeostatic balance between supply and utilization of amino acids making this specimen option ideal for repeated assessments to monitor progress of treatment. Collecting a fasting plasma specimen from a patient removes recent dietary intake effects . The following factors can reflect changes over time in plasma:

• Chronic dietary intake
• Digestive efficiency
• Hepatic uptake
• Skeletal muscle’s ability to maintain transamination

Why is amino acid testing important?

Amino acids, known as the "building blocks" of proteins, are found in every tissue of the body. They play a major role in nearly every chemical process that affects both physical and mental function including the formation of ligaments, tendons, bones, as well as antibodies and regulation of enzymes and blood transport proteins. Twenty different amino acids are used to synthesize proteins.

The human body can synthesize all of the amino acids necessary to build proteins except for ten called the "essential amino acids". These ten must be included in the diet or supplemented to be in adequate supplies. Failure to obtain enough of even one of these essential amino acids has serious health implications and can result in degradation of the body's proteins. Muscle and other protein structures may be dismantled to obtain the amino acid that is needed.

Amino acids have more diverse functions than any other nutrient group, including:

Customized Amino Acid Formula

A formula for a customized amino acid blend, based on your patient's specific test results, is provided with every plasma amino acid test. These customized amino acid formulations provide appropriate amounts of essential and conditionally essential amino acids, delivered in a balanced ratio to offset the risk of imbalance sometimes seen with the use of single amino acid supplements. This blend can be made by many compounding pharmacies.

Conditions Associated with Amino Acid Changes in Plasma: