- Glutamine is a vital amino acid used in dietary supplements.
- Supplements contain either L-Glutamine or glutamine peptides.
- Glutamine peptides may contain gluten, but L-Glutamine does not.
- Glutamine supplements may contain other gluten-rich ingredients.
If you have a strict gym trainer, you have probably been prescribed to consume a glutamine supplement. It is an amino acid that helps the body perform essential bodily processes, gut functions, and the immune system. It is also crucial in times of stress. But the big question is, is glutamine gluten free?
It’s easy to get confused. After all, “glutamine” sounds similar to ‘gluten’. However, the two are not the same. Of the two types of glutamine, L-Glutamine is gluten free, but glutamine peptides may not be so. Also, glutamine supplements may contain fillers or additives with gluten in them.
Is Glutamine Gluten Free?
Glutamine is one of the most common ingredients present in health supplements. It is helpful in the body’s recovery process and is also known to help with digestive issues. However, for athletes and fitness freaks with celiac disease or gluten allergy, there’s always that one question: is there gluten in it?
The first thing you need to understand is that it is an amino acid produced by our body. It can also be present naturally in various protein-rich foods, including both plant and animal sources. There are two types of glutamine present in health supplements: L-Glutamine and glutamine peptides.
Of these, L-Glutamine is free from glutamine. It is widely used in gluten free supplements because it is free from gluten. You can consume them without worrying about allergic reactions. Interestingly, wheat gluten has glutamic acid. But people who react to gluten don’t have allergic reactions from L-Glutamine.
Glutamine bonded peptides, on the other hand, might be derived from wheat. If you are allergic to gluten, you should avoid having any glutamine supplement that contains glutamine peptides. The brand is not obligated to reveal the source of glutamine peptides used in its product. So it is better to avoid it.
Instead, choose L-Glutamine supplements. This will ensure that you do not get allergic reactions to the gluten peptides if extracted from gluten-containing sources. Even though gluten peptides are considered more effective, it is better to choose L-Glutamine supplements to avoid health issues.
When buying glutamine supplements, you also need to be careful about the other ingredients in the product. Supplements often contain many flavoring agents, fillers, preservatives, and other additives. It is essential to make sure that these additional ingredients do not have gluten hiding in them.
To ensure that you get the best of the glutamine products without getting allergic reactions, you should always check the ingredients label. That way, you can identify if there’s any gluten ingredient in it. You can reach out to brands to know more. The ideal solution is to buy certified gluten free supplements.
Best Gluten Free Glutamine Supplements
Even if you are a fitness freak with celiac disease or gluten allergy, you don’t need to stop taking glutamine supplements. After all, it is an essential part of your diet that helps the body when it is stressed. The best thing to do would be to find gluten free supplements with L-Glutamine.
Let’s take a look at a list of gluten free glutamine supplements…
a) Essential Stacks Gut L-Glutamine Powder
The L-Glutamine supplement powder from the house of Essential Stacks is designed to keep your gut healthy. It is an unflavored supplement to keep away sweetening or flavoring agents.
It is in the form of a powder that’s easy to mix in your beverage without worrying about lumps. So you won’t need a blender.
Your body absorbs it quickly, and your health enjoys incredible efforts. This glutamine supplement is specially designed for those who need some support for their intestinal health.
So, it is free from major allergens, including gluten. It is certified as gluten-free, and it also doesn’t contain any nasty fillers.
b) Solgar L-Glutamine Tablets
Are you not a big fan of consuming supplements in the form of powder? To make the consumption of glutamine easier, go for L-Glutamine tablets by Solgar.
The tablets are designed to boost gastrointestinal health and act as a natural muscle food, regulating nitrogen movement to and from muscle tissues.
It also acts as a significant source of fuel for the cells in your intestine and brain, as well as for the immune system. The supplement is formulated to boost its absorption and assimilation. This non-GMO glutamine supplement is ideal for those with gluten allergies and people who follow a vegan diet.
c) Nutricost L-Glutamine Powder
The L-Glutamine supplement powder by Nutricost is a high-quality glutamine supplement. Users highly trust it in the fitness community because they are tested in third-party labs to prove the claims’ authenticity. It is developed in GMP-compliant and FDA-approved facilities, as well.
This glutamine supplement proudly shows off the “gluten free” label on the container. It is, therefore, safe for you to consume if you are allergic to gluten. It also fits easily into vegan diet routines. It is unflavored, which means there is no artificial coloring agent in the supplement, making it safe.
d) California Gold Nutrition Ajipure L-Glutamine Powder
The Ajipure L-Glutamine powder, from the house of California Gold Nutrition, contains glutamine derived from Ajinomoto. It is a premium quality product that plays an essential role in synthesizing muscle protein. It is free from all allergens, like dairy, nuts, eggs, shellfish, soy, and of course, gluten.
The product comes in a stylish black container that mentions that it is gluten-free. Besides, it is free from additives like coloring, flavoring, sweetening, or thickening agents (natural and artificial), fillers, creamers, hydrogenated oil, or any other harmful ingredients that can harm you any way.
e) The Healthy Tree Gut Balance L-Glutamine Powder
The Gut Balance L-Glutamine Powder by The Healthy Tree is marketed as a gluten free glutamine supplement. It is available in the form of powder to be made into a healthy concoction for your body.
It is perfect for your digestive system and boosts the repairing process of the intestinal tissues.
You can mix it with other supplements and products for a complete health drink, too. This supplement adds amino acids to your body, acting as the protein building blocks for cells and tissues’ structure.
The supplement does not contain artificial additives and is free from harmful allergens.
f) Protocol For Life Balance L-Glutamine Pure Powder
To ensure that the acid-base balance in your body is adequately regulated and the nitrogen balance is maintained, you can choose Protocol For Life Balance L-Glutamine Pure Powder as a source of amino acids. Its glutamine content ensures that other amino acids are boosted by acting as a nitrogen reservoir.
This premium supplement has a natural formulation to include L-Glutamine without any other harmful ingredient. It is free from allergens, including gluten, as mentioned on the list of ingredients.
Hence, it is marketed as a gluten free product. It is also manufactured in GMP-free facilities to maximize your safety.
g) Myprotein L-Glutamine Powder
The L-Glutamine supplement powder manufactured by Myprotein is one of the most popular glutamine supplements. This high-quality product helps in building new muscles and recovering from wear and tear. Thus, it is an essential dietary supplement for people who have a strict fitness regime.
The product undergoes a series of rigorous tests to prove its purity and quality. This confirms the product’s authenticity and makes it one of the most trusted supplements in the market. It’s ideal for vegans and is free from allergens, including gluten. The packaging mentions that it is gluten free.
h) Healthy Origins L-Glutamine
The L-Glutamine supplement by Healthy Origins is formulated to support multiple functions of your body while keeping it strong and healthy. This glutamine supplement is one of the best you can find to keep your immune system in its finest condition, as well as provide fuel to the brain and intestinal cells.
The product can regulate the transportation of nitrogen to and from the muscle tissues. It maintains amino acid balance and promotes the health of the GI tract. It’s perfect for people who work out regularly, as it helps in muscle synthesis. It is also one of the best options for vegans and people with celiac disease.
i) Dr. Osborne’s Wellness Formula L-Glutamine
In association with Gluten Free Society, is considered one of the highest quality dietary supplements available. One of the most attractive aspects of this product is the brand goodwill associated with it. The manufacturers guarantee that it is free from gluten content.
It is also free from dairy, corn, soy, yeast, and GMOs. It contains no fillers or harmful colors and flavors. It helps in optimizing muscle growth and recovery from wounds.
It also builds immunity, balances sugar levels in the blood, and decreases alcohol and sugar cravings. It gives you comprehensive health benefits.
j) Diamond Life DIAMOND GLUTAMAX
Diamond Life describes Glutamax as an L-Glutamine-based dietary supplement. Sure enough, this powder is formulated to add what’s missing in your diet.
It’s ideal for people following a hyper-protein diet and are in need to detoxify. It boosts muscle mass, making it a favorite among bodybuilders.
It is also great for people who indulge in high-intensity training because it can speed up the recovery process after physical activities.
It also protects you from producing excessive free radicals. It also works well after stress or trauma when the amino acids in your body are depleted. It is certified as gluten free.
k) NOW Sports Nutrition L-Glutamine Pure Powder
One of the best dietary products for athletes is the Sports Nutrition range by Now Foods. This range includes the L-Glutamine powder, which is a pure supplement to boost healthy living.
It helps maintain a healthy balance of nitrogen in the body, which is essential for any individual with an active lifestyle.
This supplement boosts the production and rapid growth of cells. This helps to offset stress and speeds up recovery. It also regulates the pH level in the body and maintains overall fitness.
Even though it is not certified as gluten free, its label suggests that the supplement is free from allergens, including gluten.
Many of these supplements may not bear the gluten free label on the container. But that doesn’t mean they contain gluten. It simply means that they have not had their final products tested to track the gluten content. However, they use naturally gluten free ingredients in formulating the supplements.
If you are worried about trace gluten present in the non-certified supplements, you can always start using the products in small amounts in the beginning. This will work as a test and tell you how your body reacts to the supplement. If the product doesn’t cause allergic reactions, you can increase the dosage.
You can also speak to your doctor about it. Even if the supplement contains trace gluten, it’s not likely to cause any harm to trigger allergic reactions unless you are super-sensitive to gluten, even in trace amounts. Most coeliac patients have used these products for a long time, without any adverse effects.
Why is Glutamine Gluten Free?
Glutamine is an amino acid that is produced in the human body. Hence, it is considered a non-essential amino acid. There are two reasons why the confusion between glutamine and gluten exists. The first reason is apparent – the name. The second reason is that glutamine is present in gluten.
Glutamine is, however, one of the many amino acids that together form gluten protein. In other words, glutamine might be a constituent of gluten, but the two are not the same. For one, the human body can produce glutamine but not gluten. It is only made in certain grains, i.e., wheat, rye, and barley.
L-Glutamine, an amino acid, is a derivative of glutamic acid and is quite different from any protein like gluten. The chemical ingredients in L-Glutamine hardly include any gluten impurities. This makes L-Glutamine gluten free. But if glutamine peptides are not the same. That’s because they are proteins.
If peptides are derived from gluten grains, they may contain gluten. Whether you’re allergic to gluten or have celiac disease, your body treats gluten, which is a protein, as a foreign body and reacts to it. If glutamine peptides, which are also proteins, are derived from gluten, they can trigger your body.
While glutamine peptides get absorbed by the body faster, L-Glutamine is still the choice for people leading a gluten free lifestyle. Thus, L-Glutamine is widely used in gluten free foods. It is mainly used in processed foods and dietary supplements rather than recipes used for cooking food every day.
Glutamine is also found in many natural substances that can be added to your daily diet. These include animal proteins like meat, fish, and dairy products. However, if you prefer vegetarian options, you can stick to plant-based alternatives, such as tofu, lentils, beans, peas, spinach, beets, cabbage, and more.
How Glutamine Helps Us
When the human body does not get sufficient glucose sources, it starts to convert glutamine into glucose. In other words, glutamine acts as a fuel source. Glutamine plays an essential role in our body by doing the following:
- It prevents bacterial translocation and promotes mucosal integrity in the gut;
- It provides fuel to the cells in the immune system, and
- It improves the balance and movement of nitrogen in the body during stress.
Even though our body produces glutamine, we may still need a supplement. Almost all our tissues synthesize glutamine. But if you have metabolic issues, your body will demand more glutamine. In such a situation, you’ll need to add glutamine to your body with supplementation.
A person might need glutamine supplementation when they suffer from conditions such as –
- bowel disease
- trauma
- immune disorder
- sepsis
- temporary metabolic needs
- serious health conditions
- immune disorders
- intense treatments
So it is not just people with rigorous fitness routines who need to glutamine. Sometimes, the body might demand it because the glutamine requirements of the body are not being met.
Does Glutamine Help People with Celiac Disease?
Ongoing studies suggest that glutamine can improve celiac patients’ overall health with its ability to boost cell growth in the intestine and heal a leaky gut. Besides, since celiac patients have protein losses, glutamine can be utilized by their bodies. This amino acid acts as a building block of proteins.
Many people with celiac disease claim that glutamine has helped in reducing the symptoms of their condition. But then again, some people are sensitive to it. So, it is essential to consult a physician about the proper dosage and product. For many celiac patients, glutamine is a vital part of everyday diet.
Many people with celiac disease use glutamine as a kind of anti-gluten measure. Of course, that doesn’t mean they eat gluten, and glutamine saves them. But if they accidentally consume gluten, glutamine helps many celiac patients to calm their guts. They claim that glutamine can keep symptoms at bay.
Final Lines
Glutamine supplements are quite helpful in keeping our gut and immune system. It helps muscles to grow and recover. Glutamine supplementation is an indispensable part of your diet if you’re into fitness and athletics. But you also need supplements if your body is stressed and can’t make glutamine.
Though glutamine peptides get absorbed in the body fast, people allergic to gluten should stay away from this protein, lest it’s derived from wheat. Instead, go for L-Glutamine, an amino acid that does not cause allergic reactions. You should also check for other gluten-rich ingredients in a supplement.
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