Methionine is an essential amino acid that must be obtained through diet. It has many beneficial effects on the body, particularly on the liver. Learn why it is important to maintain adequate methionine levels in your body.
What is Methionine?
Methionine is an essential amino acid that is needed for good health. However, it cannot be produced in the body and so must be obtained through diet. One important function of methionine is its ability to be a supplier of sulphur and other compounds that are needed by the body for normal metabolism and growth. Sulphur (or sulfur) is a key element—without enough sulphur, the body is unable to make and use a number of antioxidant nutrients. Methionine is also a methyl donor, giving off a methyl group that is needed for a variety of chemical and metabolic reactions in the body.
Methionine belongs to a group of compounds called lipotropics that help the liver to process fat in the body. Once it reaches the liver, methionine is converted into SAMe (S-Adenosyl methionine), and SAMe is therefore the metabolite of methionine. As much as 8 grams of SAMe is produced by the liver each day under ideal conditions.
Sources of Methionine
Methionine is abundant in a normal diet that contains the essential macronutrients and micronutrients. The recommended daily intake of methionine is approximately 43 mg per day for men and 38 mg per day for women. Consuming methionine-rich foods or taking methionine supplements can help you meet your daily requirements.
Sources of methionine include:
- Meat
- Fish
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Soybeans
- Dairy products
- Whole grains
- Garlic
- Onions
- Beans
- Lentils
Methionine supplements are available at most health food stores. Be sure to consult with a nutritionist or dietitian before taking any supplements to ensure they're right for you and avoid any possible adverse effects.
Source: Nutrition Health Benefits Times
Benefits of Methionine
Methionine has a variety of health benefits. It can treat depression, inflammation, fatty liver disease and muscle pain. It is essential for fatty acid synthesis, which results in the conversion of nutrients into molecules that, among other things, form healthy cell membranes, produce hormones, support brain and nervous system functions, and regulate blood pressure.
Methionine is especially beneficial for people who are suffering from oestrogen dominance, where the amount of oestrogen in the body is excessively high when compared to the opposing hormone progesterone. Methionine converts the stronger and carcinogenic estradiol into estriol, the “good” oestrogen.
SAMe also has many benefits. It can be used to treat liver injury resulting from viral hepatitis or cirrhosis, and it can also be used to alleviate depression. Both methionine and SAMe have anti-inflammatory effects and thus can be used in combination to treat osteoarthritis. SAMe may also be helpful for multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
Other benefits of methionine are as follows:
- improves tone and pliability of hair, skin and nails as it is essential for the formation of healthy collagen
- chelates heavy metals, allowing them to be eliminated from the body
- helps prevent premature ejaculation
- helps prevent chronic depression
- reduces the levels of inflammatory histamines in the body
- helpful for treating urinary tract infection as it stops bacteria from sticking to and proliferating in the walls of the urinary tract
- prevents chronic liver disease
Methionine Supplementation
Most people who eat a normal diet and are in good health do not need to take methionine supplements. However, people with a dietary restriction, such as vegetarians, are most likely suffering not only from methionine adenosyltransferase deficiency but also lack other proteolytic enzymes like cystathionine beta-synthase, and should consider supplementation to compensate for their dietary methionine deficiency.
People with coeliac disease also suffer from dietary methionine deficiency because gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, interferes with the absorption of methionine from the intestine. Methionine supplementation can help prevent this deficiency and promote good health.
If supplementation is required, taurine, cysteine and other sulphur containing amino acids, as well as vitamin B-complex such as folic acid (vitamin B9) and pyridoxine (vitamin B6), should also be included. The recommended supplementation dosage ranges from 200mg to 1000mg in divided doses throughout the day.
Combining atherogenic diets with methionine supplements offers a variety of health benefits, including protection of the liver, promotion of wound healing, improving cognitive function, weight loss and cancer reduction.
The Dangers of Dietary Methionine Deficiency
People with dietary methionine deficiency are prone to pathogenic variants as their T-cells are significantly reduced, leaving them with no protection against disease. Cystathionine β-synthase deficiency and methionine adenosyltransferase deficiency can cause a slew of health conditions, including liver injury or chronic liver disease, such as alcoholic liver disease, and cognitive problems. Among the symptoms of methionine deficiency are hair loss, skin problems, headaches, psychomotor issues, speech difficulties and tremors.
If you're looking to boost your methionine intake, consult a nutritionist in your area today.
Originally published on Jan 10, 2009
