L-Arginine Benefits

L-arginine is an important amino acid that is beneficial in the body for several reasons. Some of the L-arginine benefits include antioxidant properties, hormone stimulation, and nitric oxide production (which causes the blood vessels to relax). These benefits of L-arginine can help people who have certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, impotence, and the common cold.

L-Arginine Supplements

What Are Possible L-Arginine Benefits?

L-arginine is an important amino acid. However, this does not mean that everyone needs to take L-arginine supplements. For most people, the body is capable of producing all the L-arginine it needs, and no additional supplementation is necessary. However, some medical conditions seem to be associated with low L-arginine levels, and supplementation may be useful in these situations.

People use L-arginine for a variety of different uses, such as:

Impotence (erectile dysfunction, or ED)
Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Chest pain (angina)
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Intermittent claudication (leg pain associated with peripheral artery disease)
The common cold
Male infertility
Preeclampsia of pregnancy
Migraine headaches
Interstitial cystitis (a painful bladder condition).

L-arginine is also used in nutritional products for premature infants and critically ill patients (such as ICU patients).

Some of these uses have reliable scientific evidence in their favor, while others do not (see Does L-Arginine Work? for more information).

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