L-Arginine in a Time Release Formula
One of the best things that seems to really help my post-COVID energy levels is L-Arginine. It is an amino acid that is both produced by your body and found in protein-rich foods including meats, dairy products, beans, soy and whole grains. Research suggests that it can help with a wide range of health issues related to circulation. It boosts nitric oxide levels and acts as a vasodilator, meaning it can help open blood vessels to improve circulation. This is one of the reasons why body builders and men wanting to enhance their erections take it, as in larger doses it leads to that “pumped up” look and feel.
It was recommended to me by three people on my neurology team as potentially helpful for long COVID fatigue. I started out with an ordinary L-arginine pill, but it gave me too much of a rollercoaster with jittery highs and sluggish lows. I then discovered it in a time release formula that worked great for me. The pill has an outer quick-to-digest layer over a slower to dissolve core, releasing the amino acid over a longer time which helps me make it through a workday.
The L-Arginine I Take:
Doctor's Best Sustained Plus Immediate Release L-Arginine
How It Helps Me
When I have this each morning, I feel more alert and awake and productive. As someone with memory issues, it is easy to forget which pills to take when, and on days when I forget it I feel heavy and terribly tired, as if someone cranked up gravity. I would have to spend a lot more days sleeping without this. Having had a number of fasting blood draws and other procedures where I must skip my morning does of L-Arginine, I have had ample opportunities to notice that I definitely feel worse without this helpful amino acid.
L-Arginine and Chronic Fatigue and Long COVID
Interestingly, there are quite a few studies on using L-arginine in combination with other items, such as Vitamin-C, Aloe Vera, etc. on Chronic Fatigue patients with positive results. Another study suggests that long COVID sufferers tend to be deficient in L-Arginine. Another suggests that Chronic Fatigue patients may have an issue with how their immune systems work, and L-Arginine may boost the action of natural killer cells (generally a good thing as they help you eliminate bad things in your body). I have linked to them at the end of this article.
Cautions and Possible Side Effects
As with any supplement or medicine, there are pros and cons with L-Arginine that are worth discussing with a doctor. As a vasodilator, it can cause headaches, lower blood pressure, interact with other medicines, etc. Some think it can worsen allergy and asthma responses. I do not personally take massive doses and my need for energy outweighs my concerns for these possible down sides, and I am also taking it under the advice of medical specialists.
For More Information:
- Mayo Clinic: General information about L-arginine:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-l-arginine/art-20364681 -
Ansa.it and Coronaheadsup.com:
Study on long COVID suggesting that fatigue and exhaustion in patients may be caused by an Arginine deficiency:
https://www.coronaheadsup.com/health/long-covid/long-covid-fatigue-caused-by-an-arginine-deficiency/ -
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research:
Study suggesting that along with Aloe Vera, L-Arginine is useful for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
http://www.ghrnet.org/index.php/joghr/article/view/1646/1860 -
National Library of Medicine:
Study showing L-Arginine with vitamin C increases physical performance for adults with persistent fatigue with long COVID:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9738241/
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