POPSUGAR

Why Vegetarians May Want to Use Liquid Amino Acids on Everything

May 23 2016 - 10:51am

Have you ever seen a bottle of Bragg Liquid Aminos [1] at the grocery store and wondered what it was all about? It's a great gluten-free alternative to soy sauce because of its salty umami flavor, but it's also a vegetarian source of amino acids.

There are 20 standard amino acids that our bodies need to function normally. Twelve amino acids are manufactured by the human body, and nine, called essential amino acids [2], must come from our diets. You need all 20 amino acids because they are the building blocks of our organs and tissues. In order to obtain the essential amino acids your body doesn't make on its own, you need to consume protein. Animal sources of protein (milk, eggs, and meat) contain all the essential amino acids. Vegetarians or vegans can obtain all their essential amino acids (known as a complete proteins [3]) by eating a variety of plant-based proteins — beans, whole grains, nuts, or seeds. Enjoy them together in one meal, or the combination can be consumed over the same day.

By eating enough protein, you can get all the amino acids you need that your body doesn't produce. Your weight will determine how much protein you need per day [4]. If you're not sure, just multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36 or your weight in kilograms by 0.8.

If you're using Bragg Liquid Aminos as a way to get your daily essential ammino acids, you should know that it only offers eight of the nine essential amino acids (doesn't contain tryptophan). It can't hurt to add this to your soups, casseroles, whole grains, tofu marinades, sauces, and dressings, but since Bragg Amino Acids only offers 0.5 grams of protein per teaspoon, make sure you're also getting enough protein.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/What-Deal-Liquid-Amino-Acids-1590505