Amino acids are the smallest building blocks of a protein. Proteins are "essential building blocks of life." But amino acids also fulfill independent functional roles.

A distinction is made between essential and non-essential amino acids:

• Essential amino acids: must be obtained through food - a Undersupply cannot be compensated for.
• Non-essential amino acids: can be formed in the organism using essential amino acids

Essential

• Isoleucine (VK)
• Leucine (VK)
• Lysine
• Methionine (SH)
• Phenylalanine (AAS)
• Threonine
• Tryptophan (AAS)
• Valin (VK)

Semi-essential

• Arginine
• Histidine (AAS)
• Cystine/Cysteine ​​(SH)
• Tyrosine

Non-essential

• Alanine
• Aspartic acid/
  Asparagin
• Glutamine
• Asparagin
• Glutamic acid
• Glutamine
• Glycine (Glycocolla)
• Serine
• Proline
• Ornithine
• Taurine
• Hydroxyproline
• Citrulline
• 3-Methylhistidine
• L-Theanine
• Glutamine
• Glycine (Glycocolla)
• Serine
• Proline
• Ornithine
• Taurine
• Hydroxyproline
• Citrulline
• 3-Methylhistidine
• L-Theanine
• u.v.m.

Amino acids have three central functions in our body:

• Structural tasks (anabolic function), d.h. the structure of proteins (“proteinogenicity”)
• Energy production (catabolic function)
• Provision of sulfur

Proteins can be classified into the following 7 main functional groups:

The intake of (digestible) proteins occurs through food. By means of eEnzymatic hydrolysis releases the amino acids from the natural food proteins, which are a mixture of amino acids.

The released amino acids subsequently represent the anabolic (building, conversion in the organism into the body's own protein) and catabolic metabolism (energy, nitrogen) is available.