About glutamine, I never saw any improvement in digestive health with 3-4g of glutamine (this is roughly what you would get from an average serving of whey protein, in other words, not a significant amount compared to your normal dietary intake). Only at 5 grams 3x daily (15g) have I have seen dramatic improvement in gut health.
FunkOdyssey,
Aren't you worried about the effect of that much free glutamine with regard to possible neurotoxicity if it is converted to glutamate?
For example, I found the below pasted links mentioning the issue...
http://www.restoreun...nic_attacks.htm
...Note – Glutamine is a precursor of GABA. Glutamine is first synthesized to glutamate, then glutamate is synthesized to GABA. However, glutamine in the conversion process to glutamate, can result in neurotoxicity. If you already have poor brain health, glutamine supplementation may not be proper. In healthy subject’s 2 grams of glutamine is often what is recommended. For an ill person, the likely dose would be less than 2 grams. Consult with your doctor before supplementing glutamine; ill health can stress the glutamine to glutamate conversion process leading to neurotoxicity...
http://jn.nutrition....ull/131/9/2556S
(Journal of Nutrition. 2001;131:2556S-2561S.)
© 2001 The American Society for Nutritional Sciences
Supplement
Assessment of the Safety of Glutamine and Other Amino Acids
Peter J. Garlick
State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8191
...All of the above studies were performed in adult subjects. Lacey et al. (1996) , however, investigated the effects of glutamine-supplemented parenteral nutrition [20% of amino acids, equivalent to 0.4 g/(kg · d) glutamine maximum] for 15 d in 44 preterm neonates, who might possibly be more sensitive to adverse effects than adults. Plasma glutamine level rose by 50%, but glutamate and ammonia remained within the normal range. On the basis of the measurements of plasma ammonia and glutamate and the absence of clinical signs of neurotoxicity, it was concluded that glutamine at this dose is safe in preterm infants...
...Neurological effects.
Of the 15 amino acids represented in Table 1 , 9 are associated with neurological or neurotoxic effects, as is high protein intake. Glutamine degradation yields glutamate and ammonia, both of which are known to be neurotoxic, although glutamate has only been shown to be neurotoxic in animal studies (Airoldi et al. 1979). However, in those studies of glutamine safety in which neurological symptoms were assessed, no signs of adverse effects were detected (see above)...
1. Airoldi L., Bizzi A., Salmona M. & Garattini S. (1979) Attempts to establish the safety for neurotoxicity of MSG. Filer L. J., Jr Garattini S. Kare M. R. Reynolds W. A. Wurtoman R. J. eds. Glutamic Acid: Advances in Biochemistry and Physiology 1979:321-331 Raven Press New York, N.Y. ...
32. Lacey J. M., Crouch J. B., Benfell K., Ringer S. A., Wilmore C. K., Maguire D & Wilmore D. W. (1996) The effects of glutamine-supplemented parenteral nutrition in premature infants. J. Parenter. Enteral Nutr. 20:74-80.[Abstract/Free Full Text]...
