arginine
n. uncountablen. a type of amino acid that your body uses to build proteins. It also helps your body make nitric oxide, which is important for keeping your blood vessels healthy.
n. an essential α-amino acid that is a precursor to nitric oxide and plays a role in the urea cycle. It is conditionally essential, meaning the body can usually produce it but may require dietary sources under certain stress conditions.
Arginine is often found in foods like nuts and seeds.
Supplementing with arginine may help improve blood flow by increasing the production of nitric oxide in the body.
While the liver typically synthesizes sufficient arginine for normal physiological functions, clinical studies suggest that patients with severe trauma or burns may benefit from exogenous supplementation to support tissue repair.
From German Arginin, from Ancient Greek ἄργυρος (árguros, “silver”) and ἀργινόεις (arginóeis, “silvery, brightly shining”) in reference to arginine nitrate crystals' silver-white appearance when first refined from lupin seedlings by Ernst Schulze and Ernst Steiger in 1886.