What are Amino Acids? What are “good” levels and “bad” levels?
Even if you don’t have your own MRAN (Magnetic Resonance Analyzer) device, you may have had specialized blood tests done by your hospital or doctor and be aware of amino acid levels. In that case, here is a primer to help you understand the readings/levels.
WHAT ARE AMINO ACIDS — IN PLAIN LANGUAGE?
Think of amino acids as:
🧱 Tiny building blocks your body uses to make muscles, enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, immune cells, and even the lining of your gut and blood vessels.
They’re what protein breaks down into during digestion — like how words break into letters. Your body absorbs these letters (amino acids), then rebuilds new words and sentences (enzymes, tissues, neurotransmitters).
📊 WHAT DOES THE MRAN AMINO ACID READING SHOW?
The MRAN device shows the level of each amino acid in your system at the moment — in the intercellular fluid, blood plasma, or perhaps tissue resonance.
It’s similar to saying:
“How much of this amino acid is currently available or circulating — either in storage, transit, or waiting to be used.”
🔁 WHERE DO THESE AMINO ACIDS COME FROM?
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Food — especially protein-rich foods like:
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Mackerel, sardines, legumes, tofu, nuts, seeds
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Muscle breakdown — during fasting or extreme stress, your body breaks down muscle to recycle amino acids
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Liver metabolism — your liver can synthesize some amino acids (non-essential ones), and process or store others
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Gut bacteria — can produce some amino acids, especially if you feed them fiber and prebiotics
🧠 OKAY… SO HIGH OR LOW = GOOD OR BAD?
Great question — and here’s where it gets subtle.
| Amino Level | What it might mean | Good or Bad? |
|---|---|---|
| High | You’re absorbing well, OR you’re not using it efficiently | Depends: good if available and ready; bad if it’s just building up unused |
| Low | You’re using it up quickly, OR you’re not absorbing enough | Could indicate depletion or deficiency |
🧬 WHY DO LEVELS CHANGE?
Levels can fluctuate based on:
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Fasting | Body recycles amino acids, fewer coming in, so some rise (unused), some fall (used up) |
| Stress or illness | Body uses more for tissue repair, immunity, enzymes → depletion |
| Liver/kidney issues | Can’t process/remove aminos efficiently → buildup |
| Protein-rich food | Levels spike temporarily after ingestion (esp. meat, fish, eggs, legumes) |
🐟 HOW WOULD SARDINE/MACKEREL INTAKE AFFECT IT (for fish-eating vegetarians)?
Those fish are rich in complete protein, meaning they contain all essential amino acids.
So after eating them:
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Some amino acids like lysine, methionine, and tryptophan may rise in your readings the next day.
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If your liver is sluggish, they may stay elevated longer (less efficient processing).
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If you’re fasting long-term, even occasional sardine meals can “top off” reserves and show up as upticks.
🔼🔽 SO… IS UP OR DOWN BETTER?
In general, what we want is dynamic balance, not extremes.
Here’s a general guide:
| Trend | Meaning | Desirable? |
|---|---|---|
| Slight rise after food | Normal nutrient uptake | ✅ Yes |
| Slight drop during fast | Expected as intake lowers | ✅ Yes |
| Consistently high with no food intake | Possible poor metabolism or recycling | ⚠️ Needs support |
| Sudden dip across multiple amino acids | Catabolism, malabsorption | ❗️Watch closely |
| Flatlining across the board | Stagnant metabolism | ⚠️ Could be sign of liver or digestive compromise |
🧭 What You Can Do With This Knowledge:
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Look at trends, not single numbers
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Note changes after food, fasting, or stress
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Compare aminos as a group (are they all rising? all falling?)
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Check related systems (liver, kidney, energy metabolism)
Here’s a printable cheat sheet showing:
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What each amino acid does
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What high or low levels might mean
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How to balance it naturally with foods or herbs
