Amines Part 9 - Non Essential Amines (Aspartic Acid/Aspartate)

A. Aspartic Acid

Aspartic acid is one of the two acidic amino acids. The other acidic amino acid is the glutamic acid.

Discovery

In 1806, asparagine was isolated under a crystalline form from asparagus juice. Louis Nicolas Vauque (a French chemist) and his assistant, Pierre Jean Robiquet discovered this. In 1809, Pierre Jean Robiquet now a chemist, identified a substance very similar to asparagine from licorice root. And in 1828, aspartic acid was discovered by Plisson which was derived from asparagine.

Functions & Uses In Our Body

Aspartic acid (together with glutamic acid) play an important role as general acids in enzyme active centers. They also maintain the solubility and ionic characters of proteins in our body. (Proteins in our body are critical to maintaining the body's pH balance.)

Aspartic acid also plays a very huge role in metabolism.

Foods With Aspartic Acids

A. Meat, Poultry & Fish

1. Dried and salted Atlantic cod - 6g of aspartic acid per 100g serving
2. Cooked yellowfin tuna - 3g
3. Cooked blue crab meat - 2g
4. Chicken giblets - 3g
5. Braised top round beef - 3g
6. Beef chuck pot roast - 3g
7. Bacon - 3g
8. Cooked lamb shoulder - 3g
9. Cooked veal leg - 3g
10. Cooked light-meat turkey - 2g

B. Seeds & Legumes

1. Partially defatted sunflower seed flour - 5g of aspartic acid per 100g serving
2. Partially defatted cottonseed meal - 5g
3. Soy protein isolate - 10g
4. Defatted peanut flour - 6g
5. Freeze-dried tofu - 5g
6. Defatted soy flour - 5g
7. Soy-based meat extender - 4g

C. Eggs & Dairy Food

1. Dried egg whites - 8g of aspartic acid per 100g serving
2. Dried egg yolks - 3g of aspartic acid per 100g serving
3. Grated parmesan cheese - 2g
4. Semi soft goat cheese - 1g

D. Fruits & Vegetables

1. Dried apricot - 1g of aspartic acid per 100g serving
2. Dried seaweed/spirulina - 5g
3. Freeze-dried sweet green/red peppers - 2g
4. Dried ancho peppers - 1g
5. Tomato powder - 1g
6. Freeze dried chives - 1g
7. Sun-dried tomatoes - 1g

Two Forms of Aspartic Acid

There are two forms of aspartic acid. One is 'L-aspartic acid'. The other is 'D-aspartic acid'. 'L-aspartic acid' is the more predominant one. It is the protein-based structures in human beings. Muscle tissue, skin, hair, fingernails and enzymes are all made from amino acids.

'D-aspartic acid' accumulates in the pituitary gland, pineal gland and testes and is involved in hormone production. This aspartic acid stimulates the release of sex hormones form the pituitary gland and testosterone from the testes.

As A Supplement

D-aspartic acid is a popular supplement among bodybuilders and serious athletes as they help build muscles. It is also popular among elderly men as it boosts low-circulating levels of testosterone.

B. Aspartate

The carboxylate anion, salt or ester of aspartic acid (Asp or D) is known as aspartate.

Functions of Aspartate

1. In diagnosing periodontal diseases through aspartate transaminase. This enzyme is found in the liver and heart. 
2. In diagnosing heart attacks and issues regarding the heart. Aspartate aminotransferase (which are in our skeletal system and heart tissues) test is used. 
3. It is one of the components used gluconeogenesis (production of glucose) in our body.
4. It serves as a neurotransmitter in our brain.

 Foods With Aspartate

1. Luncheon meats
2. Sausage meat
3. Sprouting seeds
4. Asparagus
5. Avocado
6. Oat flakes
7. Molasses
8. Sugar beets
9. Young sugar cane

C. Aspartame

What Is Aspartame?

Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. It is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose/table sugar. Because it is able to produce sweetness and is extremely low in calories (unlike sugar), many people use this to sweeten their drinks and food. The F&B industry greatly uses aspartame.

Aspartame is made up of three chemicals. They are aspartic acid (40%), phenylalanine (50%) and methanol (10%). Aspartame is the technical name for NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful and Equal-Measure. Aspartame was discovered by accident in 1965 by a chemist by the name of James Schlatter when he was testing an anti-ulcer drug.

The Use of Aspartame

In 1981, aspartame was approved for use in dry goods. In 1983, it was approved for use in carbonated beverages.

In the European Union, aspartame is coded as E951 as a food additive.

How Aspartame Can Make You Sick

As aspartate acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain, it is believed that an influx or excessive aspartate could 'over excite' or over-stimulate the neurons to death.

Apparently, long-term exposure of 'over-exciting' the neurons could cause long term damage and illness such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, dementia, epilepsy, brain seizures and Alzheimer's disease.

Ingesting aspartame could produce the same side-effects as ingesting glutamic acid. The most common side-effect after ingesting aspartame is headaches/migraines. Other symptoms include nausea, abdominal pains, fatigue, anxiety attacks, depression and asthma/chest tightness.

Click on LINK to read more.

Aspartame In Products

Today aspartame is found in more than 6000 products and is used by over 200 million people in the whole world.

Some of the products that aspartame is used in:

1. Carbonated soft drinks
2. Powdered soft drinks
3. Chewing gum
4. Confections
5. Gelatins
6. Dessert mixes
7. Puddings and fillings
8. Frozen desserts
9. Yoghurt
10. Tabletop sweeteners
11. Vitamins
12. Sugar-free cough drops
13. Cereals
14. Breath mints
15. Fruit spreads
16. Frozen ice
17. Jams and jellies
18. Juice blends
19. Juice drinks
20. Maple syrups
21. Meal replacements
22. Mousse
23. No-sugar added pies
24. Nutritional bars
25. Vegetable drinks
26. Sugar-free cookies
27. Sugar-free chocolate syrup
28. Sugar-free ketchup
29. Ice-cream toppings
30. Hard candies

*The small print at the bottom says that this information was compiled by Coca-Cola company!

The Sensitive Issue

'Oh my GAWD! You are so SENSITIVE!!!!'

How many times have we heard that, said that or thought of that statement?

We say this when someone's feelings get hurt too easily. Someone whose 'emotional skin' that is paper thin. Someone whose 'emotional skin' that is not thick as an elephant's hide. Someone who takes every statement to be insulting. Even when it is not. And cries buckets and waterfall amount of tears when pricked by hurt the size of a needle. And some become vindictive and revengeful and lash out at others before they could produce another 'sensitive' statement.

For people like me, the word 'sensitive' concerns our health. It concerns our well-being. It concerns our life. It can be akin to the 'emotional sensitivity'. It is our body, our system that gets hurt instead.

The word 'sensitivity' in the medical world can be interpreted as an adverse physical reaction when exposed to triggers in a susceptible person. In other words, a 'sensitive person' or a 'hypersensitivity'. A few examples of the triggers that can create havoc in a sensitive person are salicylate, glutamate, aspartame, amines, food colourings, preservatives, and food dye.

A sensitivity involves no immune system response, BUT it can yield results which are similar to allergy-induced reactions. A hypersensitivity is a result of the inability of certain individuals to metabolically process the offending chemical in food substance.

People with IgE-mediated food allergy MUST avoid the offending triggers (food, dust... etc) altogether. Where else people with non-IgE-mediated food hypersensitivity can OFTEN eat SOME of the amount of offending food without developing symptoms. The threshold of each individual varies. Some can tolerate low amounts of the offending food, others cannot.

Sad to say, there are no tests today which are available for people with hypersensitivity. The only setting that is available is through food challenge studies in a controlled environment.

Food hypersensitivity can be diagnosed by using the elimination diet, followed by food challenges and gradual reintroduction of foods and food chemicals. It is VITAL that this is conducted by an allergist who is familiar with this procedure as the re-introduction of food and food chemicals could trigger an anaphylactic attack!

In the event of proper food elimination, proper intake of anti-histamines and other medications, the threshold or tolerance levels of individuals can improve. Again, it is vital to work with an allergist (and sometimes together with a dietitian) who are aware of hypersensitivity and the danger it poses and is equipped with the knowledge of this ailment.

So in future, if you come across people like me, but you cannot fathom or understand what we go through, put yourself in this situation. Think back during the time when you had a VERY high fever. And  your joints and limbs were aching from the raging fever. And someone comes and grabs you at the places you hurt most and you scream out in pain. And then that person retorts and say, 'Oh my GAWD! You are so SENSITIVE!!!!'