Most amino acid profiles feature histidine, an essential amino acid that serves many purposes for the human body. From acting as a protein building block to aiding in the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation, histidine is imperative to your customers’ everyday health. Here’s how.
Histidine works to:
- regulate levels of hemoglobin, the protein responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues
- metabolize trace elements, including iron, copper, manganese, zinc and molybdenum
- produce urocanic acid, which absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation and protects skin cells from damage
- slow the progression of multiple degenerative diseases and minimize plaque buildup in the arteries
- optimize muscle performance during high-intensity workouts
- convert to histamine, a messenger molecule involved in sexual function, immunity and digestion
A healthy diet with chicken, eggs, beef and fish in the mix typically satisfies the recommended daily intake of histidine. Other foods rich in histidine include beans, wheat, quinoa and rice.
What Causes a Deficiency?
The major reason why someone would lack histidine is lack of consumption. It is especially important to consume a sufficient daily dose since the body cannot produce essential amino acids on its own. Vitamin and mineral levels tend to have a domino effect on each other, which explains why folate levels should be maintained. A deficiency in folate, also known as folic acid or vitamin B9, leads the body to lose histidine through urination, thereby causing a deficiency in it.
What Does a Histidine Deficiency Do?
Clinical trials and studies show that histidine depletion may lead to various conditions, both minor and detrimental.
Key symptoms of a deficiency:
- Anemia
- Skin lesions and hindered wound healing
- Anxiety-like behavior, often associated with mania and schizophrenia
What Else Can Histidine Help??
- Allergies
- Ulcers
- Anemia (caused by kidney failure)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Overall brain function
Some of the most popular products on the market, mainly sports nutrition supplements, include histidine. If you haven’t done so already, add a product to your private label line targeting not only those whose health depends on supplementation, but those who can benefit from a boost of histidine for better performance.
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