I am curious about this supplement. I have read information that implies this amino acid is not only helpful with sugar cravings, but also can be beneficial to those with digestive issues.

I pretty much figure that trying it won't hurt, might help, but was wondering what others have experienced. Some of the personal stories I have read imply that a single sublingual dose can stop a craving in minutes. I don't generally have strong cravings, and I have a starch tooth, not a sweet tooth, but I do have a tremendous appetite and have been prone to binging.

Anyway, any stories?

I take L-glutamine (powder form) fairly frequently. I do have a sweet tooth,and while I've never tried it sublingually (never heard of trying that actually), I do find if I take a substantial dose of L-glutamine (7-8g), my sugar cravings decrease overall.

I've also heard it is good for the immune system, recovery from wounds or surgery, and recovery from training (exercise). I think it's use in bodybuilding/training is pretty controversial, many don't believe it does anything. I take it anyway. I've taken it when recovering from surgery. I don't know if it helped, but it didn't hurt and I've always recovered very quickly.

I'm not sure it will help with your appetite and bingeing, but it can't hurt to try.

I've heard negative things about glutamine. For instance it is a excitory transmitter. It is found in high quantities in MSG and can bring on neuronal death (death of neurons). I feel a little like it is probably something I don't want to over-indulge in until more is known.

Nancy,
Are you sure you are not talking about Glutamate?? Glutamine is not the same as glutamate,, which is found in MSG as Monosodium glutamate.

Glutamine can convert to Glutamic Acid which is an excitatory transmittor.

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in our body and it has a plethora of functions

Glutamine is one of the best things that you can take..but people never take enough of it. Glutamine"feeds" your intestinal lining and helps build your immune system. So if someone is taking 500mgs of glutamine at a time, it is not being used for recovery or anticatabolism..your stomach and immune system get first dibs and use it all up.

So you must think of grams when taking glutamine..5 grams a pop. My post workout shake consists of 40 grams of whey isloate and 40 grams of glutamine. That type of dose ensures that my muscles will reap the benefits of the compound.

If you do want it to help with carb cravings, take about 1\4 tsp or a 500mg cap(opened) and let it dissolve under your tongue. It taste like sugar and helps with cravings alot.

When we were working with mothers who had trouble producing ample amounts of breast milk or who felt their babies were not getting enough substanance from their breast milk, we had them take in glutamine..and these women reported 'richer" breast milk. Plus their babies were getting their immune and digestion system ehanced from the additional glutamine from their mothers breast milk.

Glutamine can also be used for diarrhea..especially those with HIV\AIDS..and can help combat muscle wasting for those with with that affliction.

When I get up first thing in the morning, I have a brain "cocktail" which includes 5 grams of glutamine in water.

For those who have digestive problems, like leaky gut, taking glutamine (around 15 grams) with a product called Permavite is an unbeatable combination..it flat works!

I think glutamine is a fantastic compound..when taken in doses high enough to have an effect...and must be taken regularly like my pal Valerie does..

l-glutamine is not excitory... it is glutamate and there is no way in the body to convert glutamine to glutamate.

glutamine is great for cravings

Is Glutamine Supplementation Helpful or Harmful?

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a.../glutamine.aspx

]"Numerous recent studies as well as Siegel’s Basic Neurochemistry textbook emphatically state that the major source of glutamate is from glutamine in the brain. Normally, when the brain finishes using glutamate for chemical communication between brain cells at the synapse the glutamate is taken up by surrounding glial cells and changed by the enzyme glutamine synthease into glutamine, where it is stored.

The Problem With Excitotoxins

The glutamine is then transported to the neuron and by the enzyme glutaminase, it is converted to glutamate--the potential excitotoxin. I say potential because unless it accumulates outside the brain cell it is harmless.

This is the major source of glutamate within the brain. Excitotoxins are usually amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point they will quickly die. Excitotoxins can also cause a loss of brain synapses and connecting fibers. Food-borne excitotoxins include such additives as MSG, aspartame, hydrolyzed protein and soy protein extract.

... Adding large amounts of glutamine to the diet increases significantly brain levels of glutamine and, hence, glutamate.

... Likewise, recent studies have shown that high brain glutamine levels increase brain levels of free radicals and impair the ability of brain mitochondria to produce energy. When the brain produces low energy, excitotoxins, such as glutamate, become even more toxic. It has been shown that the reason for glutamine toxicity under these conditions is because it is converted to the excitotoxin--glutamate.

The major use for high-dose glutamine would be to repair gastrointestinal injury. In such cases, I would recommend short-term use only. Those with a history of the following conditions should avoid glutamine, even for short-term use:

Stroke
Neurodegenerative disease
Pregnancy
Malignancy
Recent vaccinations
ADHD
Hypoglycemia
Autism
Multiple sclerosis
Other neurological disorders

Glutamine has recently been shown to produce extreme hypoglycemia, even more so than leucine, which is known to produce fatal hypoglycemia in infants.

The reason Chinese Restaurant Syndrome is not seen with glutamine challenge is that the glutamate receptors in the lungs and esophagus are stimulated by glutamate, not glutamine. The glutamine must be converted first and this occurs primarily in the brain.

The only safe situation for glutamine use is in the vigorous athlete. Glutamine is used as a muscle fuel, so that vigorous exercise will consume most of the glutamine before it can accumulate in the brain. I would still avoid long-term use in high doses. I would caution readers to avoid excess glutamine, especially in the above named conditions and situations."

I've read Blaylock's book Excitotoxins and think he knows what he's talking about, though apparently some people are more sensitive than others. I know that I am one of the sensitive ones. I felt like absolute crap once from taking a potassium magnesium aspartate combination, but had no idea why at the time. Calcium is an excitotoxin in high quantities and I have to avoid too much of it, and make sure I take plenty of magnesium. I also avoid food dyes and MSG as well. Oddly enough though, aspartame in diet soda didn't seem to affect me, even though I now avoid it on general principal.

I've only tried glutamine a few times. One 500 mg capsule under the tongue does indeed stop a sugar craving in its tracks, but if I go over 1,000 mg in a day, I feel the same way I feel from too much calcium - awful, e.g. super depressed, teary, like a nervous wreck.

JL, what I've read often refers to glutamine/glutamate and both cross the blood brain barrier, glutamic acid though doesn't. It's not real clear to me that glutamine is entirely safe in big doses over a long period of time so I stay away. I had been taking it for my intestines but after reading some stuff decided that might not be such a good idea.