Methionine (amino acid)

Methionine is one of the essential amino acids needed for good health but cannot be produced in the body and so must be provided through the diet. One of the important functions of methionine is its ability to be a supplier of sulphur and other compounds required by the body for normal metabolism and growth. Sulphur is a key element and vital to life. Without an adequate intake of sulphur, the body will not be able to make and utilise a number of antioxidant nutrients.

Methionine is also a methyl donor, capable of giving off a molecule with a single carbon atom with 3 tightly connected hydrogen atoms, called a methyl group which is required for a wide variety of chemical and metabolic reactions inside the body.

Choline, inositol and methionine belongs to a group of compounds called lipotropics which help the liver to process fat in the body. Once in the liver, methionine is converted into SAM (s-adenosyl methionine) and SAM is therefore the metabolite of the amino acid methionine. As much as 8 grams of SAM is produced in the liver each day when conditions are ideal. However, the amount of SAM produced in the body can be reduced significantly when the liver function is compromised.

Methionine is a valuable nutritional compound that can treat depression, inflammation, liver diseases and certain muscle pains. Methionine is an especially important nutrient beneficial for those suffering from oestrogen dominance, where the amount of oestrogen in the body is excessively high when compared to its opposing hormone called progesterone.

Similarly, those who are on oral contraceptives or oestrogen replacement therapy will find methionine to be helpful. Since oestrogen is cleared through the liver, an enhanced liver function will reduce the body’s oestrogen load. Specifically, methionine converts the stronger and carcinogenic estradiol (E2) into estriol (E3) which is the “good” oestrogen as compared to estradiol.

Foods rich in all the B vitamins and methionine, are key components of the methyl-making pathway. Diets high in these methyl-donating nutrients can rapidly alter gene expression and are essential, especially during early development of the foetus, when the epigenome is first being established. The epigenome is a multitude of chemical compounds that can tell the genome what to do. The human genome is the complete assembly of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)-about 3 billion base pairs – that makes each individual unique

Methionine can help to fight hepatitis and cirrhosis, alleviate depression, has anti-inflammatory effects which can treat osteoarthritis and can reduce lymph rigidity and the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Highest sources of methionine in milligrams per 100 grams

Related subjects

• Bone and joint disorders
• Liver disorders (hepatitis, cirrhosis)
• Menopause and andropause
• Mental health disorders (depression)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Pregnancy and childbirth