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L-glutamine?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 6/20/2010 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
I've read about "L-glutamine" in several discussions here and I'm interested in learning more about it.  I know it's an immuno acid, supposed to be good for intestinal health.  I know it comes as a powder that you add to liquid and drink, and maybe it comes in a pill form as well?

For those who have tried it, do you think it works?  Do you take it all the time or just during a flare?  (and if just during a flare, how soon after your symptoms disappear do you stop taking it?)  Any other words of wisdom about L-glutamine?  Anyone experienced any negative effects from it?

Thanks!  :)

 

Posted 6/20/2010 7:19 PM (GMT 0)
I've only read positive things about it....I don't know what foods it's in, will have to check that out.

I'm sure it comes in a pill form, or maybe in a combo with other supplements.

I should be on it as well....it's definitely a plus from what the members state.
q
Posted 6/20/2010 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
I take it. It is supposed to help repair damaged cells in the GI tract among other things. I started it towards the end of my flare so I can't speak too much to it's effectiveness. I take it every night, about a teaspoon. Barley grass or barley grass powder is also a very good source of glutamine. It also promotes the growth of good bacteria in the GI tract and inhibits the growth inflammatory agents there. Sometimes I take both of these together.
Posted 6/20/2010 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
Taken with food glutamine is an excellent supplement for body builders because it builds muscle. Taken on an empty stomach your body tries to build and repair your intestinal tract.

I prefer the powder instead of the pills. Powder is cheaper and it does not have the useless and questionable fillers normally found in pills.
Posted 6/20/2010 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
take a look at a product called "Intestinew". It contains glutamine, glucosamine and other goodies. It's a powder and also comes in a pill form I believe. The powder form is pretty much tasteless.
Posted 6/20/2010 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
I should have said capsule form...not pill. Yes, some pills are very difficult to break down.

q
Posted 6/21/2010 11:18 AM (GMT 0)
It has helped me a bit. Makes you retain water, though.
Posted 6/21/2010 1:01 PM (GMT 0)

BabeintheWoods said...

Taken with food glutamine is an excellent supplement for body builders because it builds muscle. Taken on an empty stomach your body tries to build and repair your intestinal tract.






Interesting. I didn't realize this. I've always taken it after eating supper, so I probably wasn't getting very much benefit from it in my colon.
Posted 6/21/2010 4:47 PM (GMT 0)
I have never found it to have any real therapeutic benefit, at least in the doses that I tolerate, eg less than 10 grams a day.  And anything more than 5 grams a day constipates me in a bad way: I end up with a diuretic effect that diverts water to the bladder rather than the colon (granted in a healthy colon it then goes to the bladder after being sucked up in the colon) which is no different than the constipating effect of not drinking, and I end up with dry diarhea (gassy powder essntially) when i finally go have a BM, which is even more uncomfortable than normal D.... Glutamine does, however read well in the literature for things like wound healing of burn patients, for example, so you'd figure it might be of some benefit.  If I ever get the silly tube removed (i.e. have j-pouch surgery) I would be curious if it might offer an alternative to the immodium-dependence that most j-pouchers seem to have.  If I was new to trying it, I'd start with a small amount in case you too get severe C from higher doses.  It might be useful to try as an enema- i have read a pubmed piece that indicated some benefit and that would surely avoid the constipation risk.
Posted 6/21/2010 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
Testimony here and reading up on it leads me to want to try l-glutamine powder. What dose is suggested or are people taking?
Posted 6/21/2010 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
I take one heaping teaspoon per day. I've read diverse doasge suggestions, up to 30g/day.
Posted 6/21/2010 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
Any certain name brand you should look for? When i typed this in all i got was a bunch of body builder stuff which cool if it is the right stuff???
Posted 6/21/2010 7:26 PM (GMT 0)

BabeintheWoods said...
Taken with food glutamine is an excellent supplement for body builders because it builds muscle. Taken on an empty stomach your body tries to build and repair your intestinal tract.

I prefer the powder instead of the pills. Powder is cheaper and it does not have the useless and questionable fillers normally found in pills.

Yes and an Olympic coach that has his own chain of workout centers for pro athletes and armatures said that if he suspects GI absorption issues he puts the client on 80 grams of L-Glutamine per day for a week and then steps him down to 10-30. I try to get 10-30 in each day.
Posted 6/21/2010 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
Husker-

I get an NSI brand which is the brand for pretty much all my supplements from Vitacost. Sometimes I feel like a spammer for Vitacost on this forum, but they seem to be consistently cheaper than Puritan's Pride (not by much) and knock any retail store completely out of the water, so I go with the proven products. It is pretty much completely tasteless, so I just mix it with Citrucel and barley grass powder.
Posted 6/21/2010 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
Levi

Thanks for the info. I will give the Vitacost a look. I am new to all of this and want to be doing what is best to keep myself flare free. What is the Barley grass for? What is it for that matter. My only barley intake usually comes in a silver can:)
Posted 6/21/2010 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
Husker,


It's just a type cereal grass and is very similar to wheat grass and green foods like chlorella and spirulina. Ever since I got UC, I've started researching all these different supplements and vitamins, etc. (something I never paid attention to before) in an attempt to add natural meds alongside my mesalamines I take. Studies have shown that barley grass and chlorella benefit ulcerative colitis patients. The barley grass study was done in Japan and had some extremely impressive results, though it only had 18 people in the study which is kind of weak IMO. But the barley grass group did better than the people on standard meds, including steroids. It has lots of l glutamine in it, which repairs and tones your intestines, it destroys harmful bacteria, helps promote the growth of beneficial bacteria, and inhibits the growth of inflammatory chemicals in the bowel. It also helps your body become more alkaline. Mixed with water only it's pretty disgusting, but I mixed it with my Citrucel one night and it had a pretty good taste to it.

Based on everything I've seen on the net and read here, the two best supplements and ones I would start with would probably be turmeric and/or boswellia pills/powder. Seems like to me they are the "gold standard" of alternative therapies/remedies.

Most people on here will tell you to pay special attention to all this stuff you add and see if it helps, hurts, or is neutral. I usually try one thing at a time so I'll only have one variable and lots of controls. Unfortunately, a lot of people's UC doesn't react well with that "Silver Can" brand barley so you might want to experiment with that.
Posted 6/22/2010 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
Awesome!  I love this sight.  Great info.  Thankyou!

Posted 6/24/2010 6:17 AM (GMT 0)
I've been taking L-glutamine recently and I think it's helping me finally taper my prednisone. I've gone from 30mg down to 12.5 mg so far. I try to get 1 teaspoon twice a day but think I need to add more since I'm still looser than I'd like to be. Interesting about the diuretic effect as I've been feeling sometimes like I was getting a uti but not sure. Maybe that's all it is. Trying to avoid yet another antibiotic this year. I went with the powder due to the cost. It doesn't taste bad but can leave a little gritty feeling so I just drink more water to get that feeling out of my teeth. I don't always manage to take it on an empty stomach though.
Posted 6/24/2010 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
I started supplementing with glutamine about 4 weeks ago, 3 weeks after that I had a flare and this was the only change in my diet. I was using it for bodybuilding and the recommended dose was 10g/day. I didnt know at the time but my protein powder also had glutamine so I was actually getting 18g/day total. I had no problems before on the protein powder alone (getting 8g/day) so thats why I think too much glutamine is bad. It will help boost the immune system which none of us want so dont go overboard with it, Im going to stick with 8g/day.
Posted 6/24/2010 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
OK I'm close to ordering it but read that it can cause constipation. That's not good for me because that's the only symptom I'm working on right now. Maybe I'll wait until I get total balance before adding it.
Posted 6/24/2010 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
I have read that cabbage juice has high doses of glutamine and is recommended to "heal" ulcers. I do see it mentioned for UC every now and then as a natural remedy...haven't tried it myself.
Posted 6/25/2010 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
Can you take the L-glutamine and probiotics at the same time?
Posted 6/23/2011 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Bumping, as I have the same question as hateuc: Alright to start on top of my probiotics? (I'm on VSL#3 and Culturelle right now)
Posted 6/23/2011 12:32 PM (GMT 0)
zucchini,

L-Glutamine is known to help with colonic repair. That's the reason I take it. But you'll need to take quite a bit of it - 2 or 3 capsules won't do it. I take about 15 grams of powder and mix it in with my protein whey shakes at least twice a day. I get mine from here:   http://www.nutrabio.com/Products/glutamine1.htm - I've found it to be the best quality and cheapest as well.

Yes, as was mentioned before, for colonic repair it should be taken on empty stomach.

Just one word of caution: since it is an amino acid, you have to be very careful how you mix it, if you use those high powered blenders it will pulvarize the amino acids. So it's important to mix carefully, with a very low speed blender or as I do it, by hand with a spoon.

Also, please note that there is a big difference between L-Glutamine and Glutamic Acid.

You could try it and see how you fare on it?

        

Posted 6/23/2011 1:33 PM (GMT 0)
I see that I last posted in this thread 1 day short of a year ago. How time flies. I have using L-glutamine for a very long time now (almost a year? lol). No constipation issues at all and I do believe it is helpful for me. Many supplements have proven bad for me but L-glutamine is a keeper.

I take a heaping spoonful of LG in water (stirred not blended) every morning. Also take probiotics but they are taken before bed in the evening. Can't see why taking both together would be a problem but can't comment otherwise.
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