L-Arginine

L-arginine is an amino acid and as such has numerous functions in the body. It helps the body get rid of waste products such as ammonia, facilitates production of creatine, L-glutamate, and L-proline, and can be converted to glucose and glycogen if needed.

One of the most important functions of L-arginine is that it is used to make the nitric oxide, a compound in the body that relaxes blood vessels. Preliminary studies have found that L-arginine may help with conditions that improve when blood vessels are relaxed (called vasodilation), such as atherosclerosis, erectile dysfunction, and intermittent claudication.