Glutamine
The gut and immune fuel. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in your body, comprising 60% of muscle amino acids. Your gut cells and immune cells are hungry for it - and stress rapidly depletes it.
What Glutamine Does
Gut Cell Fuel
Primary energy source for enterocytes and colonocytes. The gut consumes more glutamine than any other tissue.
Gut Barrier Integrity
Maintains tight junctions between intestinal cells. Prevents "leaky gut" and bacterial translocation.
Immune Cell Fuel
Lymphocytes and macrophages are glutamine-hungry. Immune function depends on adequate supply.
Nitrogen Transport
Safely carries ammonia in blood to liver and kidneys for disposal.
Gluconeogenesis
Carbon skeleton can be converted to glucose during fasting or stress.
Acid-Base Balance
Kidneys use glutamine to excrete acid as ammonium during acidosis.
Glutamine and Gut Health
The gut lining turns over every 3-5 days - one of the fastest-dividing tissues in the body. All those new cells need fuel, and glutamine is their preferred source.
When glutamine is depleted (stress, illness, surgery), gut barrier function suffers. Tight junctions loosen, allowing bacteria and toxins to cross into the bloodstream ("leaky gut"). This drives inflammation throughout the body.
Glutamine for Gut Healing
- • Leaky gut / intestinal permeability
- • IBD (Crohn's, ulcerative colitis)
- • IBS with gut barrier issues
- • Post-surgery recovery
- • Chemotherapy-induced mucositis
When Glutamine Gets Depleted
Critical Illness
Sepsis, trauma, burns dramatically increase demand. Plasma glutamine drops rapidly.
Surgery
Surgical stress depletes glutamine. Supplementation improves recovery.
Infections
Immune system activation burns through glutamine rapidly.
Intense Exercise
Prolonged training can deplete muscle glutamine. May impair immune function.
Chronic Stress
Cortisol promotes muscle glutamine release. Chronic stress = chronic depletion.
Fasting / Low Protein
Inadequate protein intake limits glutamine availability for gut and immune needs.
Glutamine Supplementation
Dosing
Gut Health
5-10g daily, often divided. Can go higher (20g+) for active gut healing.
Immune Support
5-10g daily during illness or high training loads.
Post-Surgery
10-30g daily has been used in clinical settings.
Practical Tips
- •L-glutamine powder is most economical
- •Dissolves easily in water (slightly sweet)
- •Take away from meals for gut healing
- •Very safe - one of the safest supplements
- •Caution: liver disease with encephalopathy (ammonia)
Dietary Sources
Highest
Beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy. Animal proteins are glutamine-rich.
Plant Sources
Cabbage, beets, beans, spinach, parsley. Lower amounts than animal sources.
Note
Cooking destroys some glutamine. Raw or lightly cooked foods retain more.
