Top 10 Arginine Rich Foods For Children
Arginine is a non-essential amino acid, and consumption of arginine rich foods ensures appropriate protein synthesis, wound healing, removal of excess ammonia, immune function stimulation, cell growth, and secretion of several hormones (including glucagon, insulin, and growth hormone). Although, the amino acid can be synthesized, the production may be insufficient to meet the bodily demands. Arginine requirement in children is undefined and the amino acid is usually well tolerated. Cases of supplemental pediatric dosing have been documented, which can cause cerebral edema and possibly death. Thus, dietary intake of arginine by food sources is preferable.
Foods Sources of Arginine
Non vegetarian foods like dairy products (like cheese, cottage cheese, milk, yoghurt, whey proteins, etc.), beef, pork, gelatin, poultry, pheasant, quail, and seafood are very good Sources of Arginine. Vegetarian sources of arginine are wheat germ and flour, chocolate, oatmeal, nuts, peanuts, seeds, chick peas, seaweed, spirulina, and soybean.
Top 10 Arginine Rich Foods
1. Red meat: Red meat is especially arginine, but their intake should be limited in order to avoid undue stress on the liver and kidneys.
2. Nuts: Nuts contain 1 -3 g of arginine per 100g serving. The best sources are peanuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, pistachios, and pecans.
3. Spinach: vegetables are not very valuble sources of arginine, the only exception is spinach which in the frozen form contains 3.3 g per 100g.
4. Lentils: Lentils like chick peas have good arginine content; the average is around 2.1 g of arginine per 100g.
5. Fish: Tuna (1.7 g per 100 g) and salmon (1.2 g per 100 g),and Halibut are good sources of arginine.
6. Seafood: Crabs, lobsters, and shrimps are arginine rich. A 200 calorie serving of such foods gives around 3.6 to 3.8 g of arginine, which works out to be 1g per 100g.
7. Whole grains: Whole grains and their products like flour, bread, pasta, etc are arginine rich, containing 650mg per 100g serving.
8. Soy: Soy-based proteins are one of the richest food sources of arginine. Soy protein isolate contain 4g of arginine, while 100g tofu contain 600mg.
9. Eggs: Eggs, particularly the yolk contains arginine. In it’s raw form egg yolk contains 1.10 g of arginine per 100 g, while a raw egg white contains 0.65 g per 100 g.
10. Seeds: Seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower and their flour are excellent sources of arginine.
Arginine and Lysine are antagonistic, one can inhibit the absorption of the other, thus include plenty of food sources of both the amino acids for your children’s optimum growth and overall development.
Note: Children, especially ones under 2 yrs are prone to food intolerance and allergy. Introduce any new food slowly and cautiously. If you are aware of your child's allergies avoid food that contains that particular allergen completely.
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