Amino Acids & Viruses

"Amino acids are essential organic compounds with a primary function as the building blocks for proteins, which constitute around 16% of our body weight"
https://aminoacidstudies.org/immune-system/#How_Amino_Acids_Boost_The_Immune_System

RDA and EAR recommendations for essential amino acids.

"Adults Ages 19 Years and Older

EAR FOR ADULTS
19 y and older
11 mg/kg/day of histidine
15 mg/kg/day of isoleucine
34 mg/kg/day of leucine
31 mg/kg/day of lysine
15 mg/kg/day of methionine + cysteine
27 mg/kg/day of phenylalanine + tyrosine
16 mg/kg/day of threonine
4 mg/kg/day of tryptophan
19 mg/kg/day of valine

RDA FOR ADULTS
19 y and older
14 mg/kg/day of histidine
19 mg/kg/day of isoleucine
42 mg/kg/day of leucine
38 mg/kg/day of lysine
19 mg/kg/day of methionine + cysteine
33 mg/kg/day of phenylalanine + tyrosine
20 mg/kg/day of threonine
5 mg/kg/day of tryptophan
24 mg/kg/day of valine"
https://globalrph.com/rda-and-ear-recommendations-for-essential-amino-acids/

"The team started with the knowledge that viruses use certain amino acids as part of the infection process"
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-12-virus-artificial-amino-acid-vaccine.html

"Viruses cannot generate or store energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but have to derive their energy, and all other metabolic functions, from the host cell. They also parasitize the cell for basic building materials, such as amino acids, nucleotides, and lipids (fats)."
https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/virus.html

"I believe the original source was a Dr. Tent lecture concerning viruses. He proposed, quite confidently I might add, that an amino acid called arginine tends to feed viruses while its counterpart lysine tends to starve them. I thought that was interesting so I tried to recall what I could of amino acids and how they interact with viral replication in the body from some of my biochemistry classes."
https://www.nourishingdays.com/2018/03/lysine-an-amino-acid-that-keeps-viruses-at-bay/

"Within the diet, there are ten essential amino acids that must be obtained through eating. Then, there are conditionally essential amino acids that the body can actually produce, like N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and L-glutamine. However, under certain conditions, like illness, the body may require more than the body can produce. Therefore supplementation of these may not only be beneficial, but vital."

"Reduces viral replication – While it may not prevent a viral infection altogether, NAC can reduce viral replication. This, in turn, leads to a reduction in symptoms, the length of the virus, and also recurring illnesses."

"When a person has a virus, he or she may be burning through about 6,000 mg of N-acetyl cysteine a day, making it challenging, if not impossible, for the body to keep up. At this point, NAC moves from a conditionally essential amino acid to an essential amino acid and supplementation is necessary"
https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/viral-fighting-amino-acids-offer-natural-support-for-the-coronavirus/

"The antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) had been shown to inhibit replication of seasonal human influenza A viruses."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19732754/

"In-vitro and in-vivo experiments show that NAC enhances GSH levels which reduce viral load by inhibiting viral replication in a number of viruses e.g. influenza A (H3N2 and H5N1). However, these models suggest any therapeutic efficacy of NAC is likely to be strain dependent. The protective effect of NAC alone appeared as weak or null in some models with a variation in its efficacy depending on the infecting viral strain.

High dose NAC administration (1.2 g daily) is not recommended in healthy individuals who are not exposed to extreme oxidative stress."
https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/n-acetylcysteine-a-rapid-review-of-the-evidence-for-effectiveness-in-treating-covid-19/

"A unique formulation of multiple amino acids inhibits the replication of Zika virus by up to 90% in human and non-human primate cells, according to a new study"
https://www.futurity.org/zika-replication-amino-acids-formulation-2134922/

"Lysine is not required, but rather exerts a partially inhibitory effect upon virus multiplication. Infected cells deprived of arginine support neither cytopathogenic effects nor virus replication; when arginine is replaced, a prompt and extensive infection follows"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC277062/

"An insufficient amount of lysine in the diet leads to viral infections"
https://christinasantini.com/blog/2016/10/31/the-amino-acid-that-targets-viral-infections