Amino acids are the essential building blocks of all proteins. There are twenty amino acids, twelve of which are produced by the body. The other eight amino acids are known as essential amino acids; they cannot be produced by the body, and must be supplied through dietary intake. The essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. All twenty amino acids, however, are necessary for protein synthesis. They are also the building blocks for hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters in the body....
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