Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Amino Acids, Essential

Essential amino acids are the amino acids that the human body cannot synthesize in sufficient amounts and must therefore obtain from the diet. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, organic compounds joined by peptide bonds that carry out a vast range of structural, enzymatic, and regulatory functions in l…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 365× across the literature 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Essential amino acids are the amino acids that the human body cannot synthesize in sufficient amounts and must therefore obtain from the diet. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, organic compounds joined by peptide bonds that carry out a vast range of structural, enzymatic, and regulatory functions in living organisms. Of the twenty standard amino acids used to build proteins, nine are considered essential for adult humans, including leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and histidine, while the remainder are classified as non-essential because the body can produce them, sometimes from essential precursors. Adequate intake of essential amino acids is necessary for protein synthesis, growth and tissue repair, immune function, and the production of enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Dietary protein quality is judged in part by how well a food supplies these essential amino acids in the proportions the body requires. As a topic within the study of amino acids, essential amino acids are central to understanding human nutrition, metabolism, and the biochemistry of proteins. This page provides an encyclopedic overview of essential and non-essential amino acids, presenting a general account of their definition and importance rather than citing studies that do not directly address essential amino acids themselves.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 365 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Amino Acids, Essential, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in International Journal of Amino Acids.

Journal editorial board
Nicolas Inguimbert · France

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.