Name: 

Function

Food Sources

Isoleucine       

Needed for hemoglobin formation and in stabilizing and regulating blood sugar and energy levels.

Meats, fish, cheese, most seeds and nuts, eggs, chickens and lentils

Leucine

Helps with the regulation of blood-sugar levels, the growth and repair of muscle tissue, growth hormone production, wound healing and energy regulation

Brown rice, beans, nuts and whole wheat

Lysine

Needed for growth and tissue repair, and aids in the production of antibodies, hormones & enzymes. Ensures adequate absorption of calcium.

Legumes: beans, peas & lentils

Methionine

Supplies sulfur--a mineral--that helps to maintain healthy skin tone, well-conditioned hair, and strong nails

Cheddar Cheese, eggs, chicken and beef

Phenylalanine

Helps elevate mood and is closely involved with the nervous system.  Assists with memory and learning.

eggs, milk, bananas, and meat.

Threonine

Helps with formation of tooth enamel, elastin and collagen which both needed for healthy skin and wound healing.  Also needed for central nervous system

Most meats, dairy and eggs, wheat germ, nuts, beans and some vegetables.

Tryptophan

Helps produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is important for normal nerve and brain function. Serotonin is important in sleep, stabilizing emotional moods, pain control, inflammation, intestinal peristalsis, etc. 

cottage cheese, meat (Turkey), soy protein and peanuts.

Valine

Promotes mental vigor, muscle coordination and calm emotions.

Dairy (cottage cheese), meat, grain, mushrooms, soy flour and peanuts.

Histidine (More important in children)

Needed for growth and for the repair of tissue, maintenance of the myelin sheaths (protection for nerve cells), required for the manufacture of both red and white blood cells, and helps to protect the body from damage caused by radiation and in removing heavy metals from the body.

Dairy, meat, poultry and fish, rice, wheat and rye.