Arginine

What Are "Star" Ratings?

a7_3star Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.

a7_2star Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.

a7_1star For an herb, supported by traditional use but minimal or no scientific evidence. For a supplement, little scientific support.

Our proprietary “Star-Rating” system was developed to help you easily understand the amount of scientific support behind each supplement in relation to a specific health condition. While there is no way to predict whether a vitamin, mineral, or herb will successfully treat or prevent associated health conditions, our unique ratings tell you how well these supplements are understood by the medical community, and whether studies have found them to be effective for other people.

For over a decade, our team has combed through thousands of research articles published in reputable journals. To help you make educated decisions, and to better understand controversial or confusing supplements, our medical experts have digested the science into these three easy-to-follow ratings. We hope this provides you with a helpful resource to make informed decisions towards your health and well-being.

This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used for	Amount	Why
Angina	2 to 3 grams three times per day	In one study, taking arginine improved the ability of angina sufferers to exercise. Detailed studies have proven that arginine works by stimulating blood vessel dilation.
Angina 2 to 3 grams three times per day Nitroglycerin and similar drugs cause dilation of arteries by interacting with nitric oxide, a potent stimulus for dilation. Nitric oxide is made from arginine, a common amino acid. Blood cells in people with angina are known to make insufficient nitric oxide,¹ which may in part be due to abnormalities of arginine metabolism. Taking 2 grams of arginine three times per day for as little as three days has improved the ability of angina sufferers to exercise.² Seven of ten people with severe angina improved dramatically after taking 9 grams of arginine per day for three months in an uncontrolled study.³ Detailed studies have investigated the mechanism of arginine and have proven it operates by stimulating blood vessel dilation.⁴ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Congestive Heart Failure	5.6 to 15 grams per day with a doctor's supervision	The body needs arginine to make nitric oxide, which increases blood flow. This process is impaired in people with CHF. It also has been shown to improve kidney function in people with CHF.
Congestive Heart Failure 5.6 to 15 grams per day with a doctor's supervision The body needs arginine, another amino acid, to make nitric oxide, which increases blood flow. This process is impaired in people with CHF. Arginine supplementation (5.6–12.6 grams per day) has been used successfully in double-blind trials to treat CHF.⁵A double-blind trial has also found that arginine supplementation (5 grams three times daily) improves kidney function in people with CHF.⁶ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Erectile Dysfunction	1,670 to 2,800 mg daily	Blood vessels need arginine to dilate and form an erection. Supplementing with arginine has been shown to help men with erectile dysfunction in some studies.
Erectile Dysfunction 1,670 to 2,800 mg daily Dilation of blood vessels necessary for a normal erection depends on a substance called nitric oxide, and nitric oxide formation depends on the amino acid arginine. In a preliminary trial, men with ED were given 2,800 mg of arginine per day for two weeks. Six of the 15 men in the trial were helped, though none improved while taking placebo.⁷ In a larger double-blind trial, men with ED were given 1,670 mg of arginine per day or a matching placebo for six weeks.⁸ Arginine supplementation was found to be particularly effective at improving ED in men with abnormal nitric oxide metabolism. Although little is known about how effective arginine will be for men with ED or which subset of these men would be helped, available research looks promising and suggests that at least some men are likely to benefit. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
HIV and AIDS Support and Preservation of Lean Body Mass (Glutamine, HMB)	1.5 grams of HMB, 7 grams of L-glutamine, and 7 grams of L-arginine twice per day	The combination of glutamine, arginine, and HMB may prevent loss of lean body mass in people with AIDS-associated wasting.
HIV and AIDS Support and Preservation of Lean Body Mass 1.5 grams of HMB, 7 grams of L-glutamine, and 7 grams of L-arginine twice per day The combination of glutamine, arginine, and the amino acid derivative, hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB), may prevent loss of lean body mass in people with AIDS-associated wasting. In a double-blind trial, AIDS patients who had lost 5% of their body weight in the previous three months received either placebo or a nutrient mixture containing 1.5 grams of HMB, 7 grams of L-glutamine, and 7 grams of L-arginine twice daily for eight weeks.⁹ Those supplemented with placebo gained an average of 0.37 pounds, mostly fat, but lost lean body mass. Those taking the nutrient mixture gained an average of 3 pounds, 85% of which was lean body weight.

Used for	Amount	Why
Male Infertility	4 grams daily	The amino acid arginine is needed to produce sperm. Research shows that several months of L-arginine supplementation increases sperm count, quality, and fertility.
Male Infertility 4 grams daily Arginine, an amino acid found in many foods, is needed to produce sperm. Research, most of which is preliminary shows that several months of L-arginine supplementation increases sperm count, quality,¹⁰^{, 11}^{, 12} and fertility.¹³^{, 14} However, when the initial sperm count was extremely low (such as less than 10 million per ml), L-arginine supplementation produced little or no benefit.¹⁵^{, 16} While some pregnancies have been attributed to arginine supplementation in preliminary reports,¹⁷ no controlled research has confirmed these claims. For infertile men with sperm counts greater than 10 million per milliliter, many doctors recommend up to 4 grams of L-arginine per day for several months. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Pre- and Post-Surgery Health	12.5 to 18.75 grams daily before and after surgery	The amino acid arginine has a role in immune function, infection prevention, and tissue repair after injury, including surgery.
Pre- and Post-Surgery Health 12.5 to 18.75 grams daily before and after surgery The amino acid arginine has a role in immune function, infection prevention, and tissue repair after injury, including surgery.¹⁸ Animal research suggests that supplemental arginine may improve the outcomes in cardiovascular¹⁹ and colon surgeries.²⁰ Other animal studies suggest a possible role for arginine in prevention of adhesions, a painful type of internal scarring that can occur with surgery.²¹ Human trials of formulas including arginine are discussed below, but the benefits of supplemental arginine alone have not been studied in surgery patients. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Athletic Performance and Body Composition and Strength	Refer to label instructions	At very high intakes, the amino acid arginine has increased growth hormone levels, which stimulate muscle growth. Trials combining weight training with arginine and ornithine showed decreases in body fat and increases in total strength and lean body mass.
Athletic Performance and Body Composition and Strength At very high intakes (approximately 250 mg per 2.2 pounds of body weight), the amino acid arginine has increased growth hormone levels,²² an effect that has interested body builders due to the role of growth hormone in stimulating muscle growth.²³ However, at lower amounts recommended by some manufacturers (5 grams taken 30 minutes before exercise), arginine failed to increase growth hormone release and may even have impaired the release of growth hormone in younger adults.²⁴ Large quantities (170 mg per 2.2 pounds of body weight per day) of a related amino acid, ornithine, have also raised growth hormone levels in some athletes.²⁵ High amounts of arginine or ornithine do not appear to raise levels of insulin,²⁶ ^{, 27} another anabolic (bodybuilding) hormone. More modest amounts of a combination of these amino acids have not had measurable effects on any anabolic hormone levels during exercise.²⁸ ^{, 29} Nonetheless, double-blind trials conducted by one group of researchers, combining weight training with either arginine and ornithine (500 mg of each, twice per day, five times per week) or placebo, found the amino-acid combination produced decreases in body fat,³⁰ resulted in higher total strength and lean body mass, and reduced evidence of tissue breakdown after only five weeks.³¹

Used for	Amount	Why
Female Infertility and In Vitro Fertilization	Refer to label instructions	Supplementing with L-arginine has been shown to improve fertility in women with a history of failed attempts at in vitro fertilization.
Female Infertility and In Vitro Fertilization Supplementation with the amino acid, L-arginine (16 grams per day), has been shown to improve fertilization rates in women with a previous history of failed attempts at in vitro (test tube) fertilization.³²

Used for	Amount	Why
Gastritis	Refer to label instructions	The amino acid arginine may both protect the stomach and increase its blood flow.
Gastritis Various amino acids have shown promise for people with gastritis. In a double-blind trial, taking 200 mg of cysteine four times daily provided significant benefit for people with bleeding gastritis caused by NSAIDs (such as aspirin).³³ Cysteine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that stimulates healing of gastritis. In a preliminary trial, 1–4 grams per day of NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) given to people with atrophic gastritis for four weeks appeared to increase healing.³⁴ Glutamine, another amino acid is a main energy source for cells in the stomach and supplementation may increase blood flow to this region.³⁵ Patients in surgical intensive care units often develop gastrointestinal problems related to a glutamine deficiency.³⁶ When burn victims were supplemented with glutamine, they did not develop stress ulcers, even after several operations.³⁷ Nevertheless, it remains unclear to what extent glutamine supplementation might prevent or help existing gastritis. Preliminary evidence suggests the amino acid arginine may both protect the stomach and increase its blood flow,³⁸ but research has yet to investigate the effects of arginine supplementation in people with gastritis. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Hypertension	Refer to label instructions	The amino acid arginine is needed by the body to make nitric oxide, a substance that allows blood vessels to dilate, thus reducing blood pressure. Arginine given orally and intravenously has been reported to help reduce blood pressure.
Hypertension The amino acid arginine is needed by the body to make nitric oxide, a substance that allows blood vessels to dilate, thus leading to reduced blood pressure. Intravenous administration of arginine has reduced blood pressure in humans in some reports.³⁹ In one controlled trial, people not responding to conventional medication for their hypertension were found to respond to a combination of conventional medication and oral arginine (2 grams taken three times per day.)⁴⁰ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Wound Healing	Refer to label instructions	Arginine appears to improve wound healing by increasing protein synthesis.
Wound Healing Arginine supplementation increases protein synthesis and improves wound healing in animals.⁴¹ Two controlled trials have shown increased tissue synthesis in surgical wounds in people given 17–25 grams of oral arginine per day.⁴²^{, 43} Learn More

Also indexed as:

L-arginine

About this treatment

How to Use It

Most people do not need to take extra arginine. While some people with serious infections, burns, or other trauma should take arginine, appropriate amounts must be determined by a doctor. Levels used in research vary considerably (2–30 grams per day). Most research on cardiovascular disease has used between 6 and 20 grams per day. Optimal intakes remain unknown and are likely to vary depending upon the individual.

Where to Find It

Dairy, meat and poultry, and fish are good sources of arginine. Nuts and chocolate also contain significant amounts of this amino acid.

Possible Deficiencies

Normally, the body makes enough arginine, even when it is lacking in the diet. However, during times of unusual stress (including infection, burns, and injury), the body may not be able to keep up with increased requirements.

Interactions

Last Review: 05-11-2011

Learn more about Aisle7, the company.

The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2011.

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

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