Threonine: The Amino Acid plays significant role in building health

What Is Threonine?

Amino acid Threonine plays an important role in regulating protein balance in the body. Because it’s considered an “essential amino acid,” that means the body doesn’t synthesize the amino acid, so we need to eat foods high in threonine to obtain it.

The threonine abbreviation is Thr, and its one letter code is T. The proper threonine pronunciation is “three-uh-need.”

The threonine formula is C4H9NO3, and it contains an a-amino group, a carboxyl group and a side chain containing a hydroxyl group. This makes the threonine structure a polar, uncharged amino acid.

The amino acid occurs naturally in the L-form, L-threonine. It’s a conjugate base of L-threoninium and a conjugate acid of L-threoninate.

Benefits

1. Supports Digestive Health

Threonine protects the digestive tract by producing a mucus gel layer that covers it and serves as a barrier to damaging digestive enzymes. This important amino acid also supports healthy gut function by promoting the protective effects of the gut mucus barrier.

According to research published in Frontiers in Bioscience, a large proportion of dietary threonine is utilized for intestinal-mucosal protein synthesis. For this reason, consuming Thr foods may help to improve gut health under physiological and pathological conditions in both humans and animals.

2. Boosts Immune System

We need enough Thr to support proper immune function. The thymus gland uses the essential amino acid to make T-cells, or T lymphocytes, that work to fight off infections inside the body.

Research published in Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology states that “serine/threonine kinases control the epigenetic, transcriptional and metabolic programs that determine T-cell function.” Researchers explain that at a basic level, serine and threonine kinases work as a series of on/off switches that trigger antigen and cytokine receptors that make up the immune system.

3. May Improve Muscle Contractions

Although more research is needed to further understand its role, there is some evidence that Thr may benefit symptoms of ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease. Thr amino acid works to increase glycine levels in the central nervous system.

Glycine is used to treat spasticity, which is why L-threonine has been assessed for its ability to improve spasticity, or contracting muscles, in ALS patients.

Foods and Supplements

What is threonine found in?

Amino acid T is found in nature in L-threonine form. A well-balanced diet that includes high-quality protein foods will provide the body with enough to maintain normal levels.

The top threonine foods include:

Organic meat (including chicken, lamb, beef and turkey)

Wild-caught fish (including wild salmon)

Dairy products

Cottage cheese

Eggs

Carrots

Bananas

Sesame seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Kidney beans

Edamame

Spirulina

Lentils

The deficiency is rare for people who eat a well-balanced, high-protein diet. For vegans and vegetarians, eating beans, seeds and peas will help maintain normal levels.