L-Glutamine and your gut

Alright, ever heard of the billions of tiny little bugs (bacteria) living inside our gut? Yeah, I know, sounds kinda weird, but they’re there, and they play a big part in how we feel and our overall health. So, some smart scientists decided to see if a thing called L-glutamine (let’s call it GLN) could change this tiny bug community, especially in adults who are a bit on the heavier side.

Here’s the deal: They gathered 33 adults who were a bit chubby or really heavy. These people were between 23 and 59 years old. For two weeks, half of them took 30 grams of GLN, while the other half took something called L-alanine (this was like their comparison group).

And guess what they found? The adults who took GLN saw a change in the kind of tiny bugs living in their gut. A certain type of bacteria, known as Firmicutes (sounds like a firm workout, right?), decreased. Now, this is kinda cool because having too many Firmicutes has been linked to people being overweight. It’s like GLN was rearranging the neighborhood of bugs inside their belly to be more balanced!

Bottom line? Just by taking GLN, these adults shifted their gut’s bug balance closer to what you’d see in weight loss programs. Pretty rad, huh?

Want the full geeky scoop? Dive into the original article and feed your brain!