L-arginine, or arginine, is an amino acid, one of the 20 most common natural amino acids required by humans to function optimally. Some qualify arginine as a nonessential amino acid while others believe it is a semi-essential amino acid. The differentiation revolves around whether or not the body can produce the amino acid on its own in enough quantity to meet the needs of the body.
For instance, all essential amino acids are those which must be ingested through food or supplementation in order to meet the needs of the body while nonessential amino acids are actually produced within the body from essential amino acids. A semi-essential amino acid such as arginine is primarily made in the body although supplementation is sometimes needed. For instance, people who suffer from protein malnutrition, excess ammonia production or excessive lysine intake or who may have burns, infections, rapid growth or sepsis will not have enough arginine to meet the body functions.
Individuals who are suffering from a deficiency in arginine will have poor wound healing, hair loss, skin rashes, constipation and may have a fatty liver.
Arginine was first isolated in 1880, but it wasn’t until 1932 when scientists learned that it was needed for the removal of nitrogen from the body. In 1939, scientists also discovered that it was needed to make creatinine in order to be cleared by the kidneys. Creatinine is a substance which occurs in the body when there is muscle breakdown, usually after any kind of exercise. (1)
In recent years researchers have also found that arginine is an amino acid helpful in the treatment of malaria. This is a disease that is caused by a parasite transmitted through the bite of a female mosquito and kills more than one million people each year despite the current treatment methods.
In this particular study, researchers were stunned to find a link between children who had extremely low levels of arginine and too little nitrous oxide and the 
severity of the disease. Current drug regimens used to treat malaria has been meeting with drug-resistant parasites. Researchers believe that by combining arginine with the anti-malarial drugs they will have better success rate.
Individuals who also have chronic heart failure can benefit from a combination of exercise and a supplement of arginine. The combination appears to help correct the abnormal function of the blood vessels seen in individuals who suffer from chronic heart failure or congestive heart failure.
Individuals who suffer from this condition have blood vessels that fail to dilate in response to certain drugs. In a new study, researchers found that patients who were treated with arginine supplementation had a four times increase in blood vessel dilation as compared to those who didn’t. This was the first clinical trial to show that exercise and arginine improves blood vessel dilation more than either alone and may help to improve functioning in individuals who suffer from congestive heart failure. (2)
The lack of blood vessel dilation is also a problem which occurs in men who have trouble with attaining an erection. The lack of blood vessel dilation will severely hamper the erection of a penis and impact the length of time the man can maintain an erection. Interestingly, watermelon has been found to have an ingredient that deliverers citrulline to the body which it then converts to arginine. The benefits of both citrulline and arginine are to relax the blood vessels and allow them to dilate much the same way that Viagra does.
In general, most individuals do not need to take arginine supplementation because the body produces enough on its own. It is produced in the kidneys and to a lesser extent in the liver. Some food sources include dairy products, meat, poultry, fish and nuts. Individuals who are suffering from severe burns, infections or injuries can complete the body supply and under these conditions physicians may find it necessary to add a supplementation to ensure the proper intake in order to meet the increased demands.
There are side effects of taking arginine when the supplementation is more than meets the demands of the body. In these cases it may lower blood pressure, result in indigestion, nausea and headaches as well as worsening heartburn and increased stomach acid by stimulating the production of gastrin. Arginine may also alter potassium levels especially in individuals who suffer from liver disease. Diabetics may find that arginine will increase their blood sugar levels.
Before deciding to take any type of arginine supplementation, other than getting good overall nutrition from food, individuals should discuss this with their primary care physician. Between the primary care physician, the individual and the pharmacist, care should be taken to ensure there are no other drug interactions with medications which may already be taken nor interaction with any underlying medical condition.
References:
(1) The Nutrition Notebook: Arginine
http://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/proteins_arginine.html
(2) Circulation: Long-Term L-Arginine Supplementation Improves Small-Vessel Coronary Endothelial Function in Humans
http://www.argi9solutions.com/images/Circulation-1998-Lerman-2123-8.pdf
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