L-arginine is a chemical building block called “an amino acid.” It is obtained from the diet and is necessary for the body to make proteins. L-arginine is found in red meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. It can also be made in a laboratory and used as medicine.
L-arginine is used for heart and blood vessel conditions including congestive heart failure (CHF), chest pain, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. L-arginine is also used for recurrent pain in the legs due to blocked arteries (intermittent claudication), decreased mental capacity in the elderly (senile dementia), erectile dysfunction (ED), and male infertility.
Some people use L-arginine for preventing the common cold, improving kidney function after a kidney transplant, high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), improving athletic performance, boosting the immune system, and preventing inflammation of the digestive tract in premature infants.
L-arginine is used in combination with a number of over-the-counter and prescription medications for various conditions. For example, L-arginine is used along with ibuprofen for migraine headaches; with conventional chemotherapy drugs for treating breast cancer; with other amino acids for treating weight loss in people with AIDS; and with fish oil and other supplements for reducing infections, improving wound healing, and shortening recovery time after surgery.
Some people apply L-arginine to the skin to speed wound healing and for increasing blood flow to cold hands and feet, especially in people with diabetes. It is also used as a cream for sexual problems in both men and women.
L-arginine is converted in the body into a chemical called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to open wider for improved blood flow. L-arginine also stimulates the release of growth hormone, insulin, and other substances in the body.
L-arginine is defined as a semi-essential amino acid. That sounds a bit odd -- something is either essential or it isn't, right? "Essential" has a slightly different meaning in nutrition. An essential nutrient is one that you must obtain somehow, either through diet or through supplements, because your body can't manufacture it on its own [source: Baggott]. L-arginine is described as semi-essential because usually the body produces enough L-arginine on its own [source: MedlinePlus]. But in some cases, such as trauma or liver disease, people can develop deficiencies, and then an L-arginine supplement is called for.
Your body needs L-arginine to make urea, the waste product that you get rid of when you urinate [source: Mayo Clinic]. Urea is a byproduct created when your body breaks down proteins. Your body needs some nitrogen, but the breakdown of protein creates more than you need. Making urea is a very efficient way for your body to get rid of excess nitrogen [source: WebMD]. L-arginine helps your body regulate its waste and certain chemical balances.
L-arginine helps your body manufacture creatine, a protein that contributes to muscle mass and power. L-arginine also helps the body get rid of creatinine, the waste product associated with this process [source: Mayo Clinic].
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