When many people hear the word creatine, they may think of a supplement used to improve various functions of the body. However, many do not realize that it is actually already found in the body. In fact about 95% of all creatine in the human body is stored in the muscle tissue. As a supplement, creatine can be taken to increase the levels of creatine found in the muscle tissue. As a result you will gain muscle lose fat.
There are three amino acids that make up creatine. These include arginine, glycine and methionine. When these amino acids are joined in the liver, creatine is produced. Creatine can be found natural in sources of meat. However to get large amounts of creatine, large amounts of meat will need to be eaten. Creatine supplements sold in stores are not from meat. They are actually made in laboratories today. The three amino acids are joined to make creatine in a powder.
Creatine supplements are especially useful for vegetarians who get no creatine from their diet. Their creatine is produced only in their liver by using amino acids. By taking creatine supplements, people are able to get a large dose of creatine without needing to eat meat. Creatine supplements also work as a weight gainer for those people who need to gain some pounds.
When purchasing creatine, it can come in some different forms. One of these is known as creatine monohydrate. This is the most common form. Typically it is purchased as a white powder than can be mixed into protein powder shakes or other beverages. Not only is creatine monohydrate the most commonly used version of creatine, it is also the most economical. Another form is creatine-ethyl-ester. This form of creatine allows more creatine to actually go into the muscle tissue without any being wasted.
Creatine may protect liver from high-fat diets
A collaborative study involving researchers at the University of Alberta, the University of São Paulo in Brazil, and the Memorial University of Newfoundland has shown that creatine, a naturally occurring amino acid in the human body, may contain properties that help fight the onset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease caused by a high fats diet.
René Jacobs, assistant professor with the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, was co-author of a research paper recently published in The Journal of Nutrition. The research indicates that taking creatine as a supplement can help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, as well as numerous other negative health effects associated with high fat intake, such as inflammation and oxidative stress.
“Creatine occurs naturally in the human body,” said Jacobs, “and can also be obtained through dietary means from things like meat, fish and dairy products. However, it’s also available as a supplement in any health-food store, and it’s reasonably inexpensive.[…] This is, by no means, some kind of silver bullet that allows people to eat excessive amounts of saturated fat without any health risks,” he said. “High-fat diets lead to issues like heart disease and stroke. This does suggest, however, that supplemental creatine, combined with a healthy lifestyle, could lead to some significant improvements in people’s overall liver health.”
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