I was just researching on Google to see if I could find any credible warnings about dangers of taking Amino Acid supplements. I'm still in the process of searching, but for starters, here's what I found on a website by University of Nebraska. (It was about misconceptions regarding athlete use of protein, which I guess is the same as Amino Acids, right?)
Here it is:
Misconception: Athletes should get extra protein for insurance. After all, there's no danger in getting too much protein.
Response: There are slight risks associated with getting too much protein. Extra protein makes more work for the liver and kidneys, which have to handle the extra nitrogen from the amino acids. This can lead to an increased risk for liver and kidney problems in later years. Also, more water will be needed to help the kidneys handle the workload of excreting nitrogen as urea so there is a greater risk for dehydration.
Well... they don't really say. And the FDA has no Recommended Daily Intake for them. That is probably because if you have a normal diet, you get enough protein from your food. So the FDA doesn't worry about it.
Though I must say I'm having a hard time finding any other website that mentions a danger associated with amino acids and proteins, and even this University of Nebraska site says that "there are slight risks" but they don't give any numbers. They do give references from medical journals at the bottom of the page.
So I guess this requires a little more research. :)
Medical journals would be the best place for me to look. You can find people on the internet that will say just about anything if you search long enough.
OK, I spent a couple hours last night and this morning searching a scholarly medical journal database for research articles about the harms of amino acid supplements. And I can't find any. Not one. The only thing I've found is that thing above. And it's referring to athlete's amino acid supplements.
So I'm going to try them. I'll let you know if I get dehydrated from them.
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