Methionine
- Methionine is an amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks that our bodies use to make proteins. Methionine is found in meat, fish, and dairy products, and it plays an important role in many cell functions.
Contents
Uses
- To prevent liver damage in acetaminophen (Tylenol) poisoning: methionine prevents the breakdown products of acetaminophen from damaging the liver.
- Increasing the acidity of urine
- Treating liver disorders
- Improving wound healing
- Treating depression
- Alcoholism
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Copper poisoning
- Radiation side effects
- Schizophrenia
- Drug withdrawal
- Parkinson’s disease.
Cautions
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking methionine if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
- Acidosis: Methionine can cause changes in acidity of the blood and should not be used in people with a condition called acidosis.
- “Hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis): There is some concern that methionine might make atherosclerosis worse. Methionine can increase blood levels of a chemical called homocysteine, especially in people who don’t have enough folate, vitamin B12, or vitamin B6 in their bodies, or in people whose bodies have trouble processing homocysteine. Too much homocysteine is linked to an increased risk for diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
- Liver disease, including cirrhosis: Methionine might make liver disease worse.
- Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) deficiency: This is an inherited disorder. It changes the way the body processes homocysteine. People who have this disorder should not take methionine supplements because methionine might cause homocysteine to build up in these people. Too much homocysteine might increase the chance of developing diseases of the heart or blood vessels.
- Schizophrenia: Large doses of methionine (e.g., 20 g/day for 5 days) might cause confusion, disorientation, delirium, agitation, listlessness, and other similar symptoms in people with schizophrenia.
Other Names
DL-Methionine, DL-Méthionine, L-2-amino-4-(methylthio)butyric acid, L-Methionine, L-Méthionine, Méthionine, Metionina.
References
Source: WebMD, “Methionine”, www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/