I was reading about amino acids awhile ago (and how they may be related to sweating, and hormones) and came across something that seems like it could help Keratosis Pilaris. I read this in one of my books "Prescription for Nutritional Healing", and I will copy (and edit) parts of it here.

Methionine is an essential amino acid that assists in the breakdown of fats, thus helping to prevent a buildup of fat in the liver and arteries that might obstruct blood flow to the brain, heart, and kidneys. The synthesis of the amino acids cysteine and taurine may depend on the availability of methionine. Methinione helps the digestive system; helps to detoxify harmful agents such as lead and other heavy metals; helps diminish muscle weakness, prevent brittle hair and protect against radiation; and is beneficial for people with osteoporosis or chemical allergies. Methionine is a powerful antioxidant, it is required for the synthesis of nucleic acids, collagen and proteins found in every cell of the body. It is beneficial for woman who take oral contraceptives because it promotes the excretion of estrogen. It reduces the level of histamine in the body, which can be useful for people with schizophrenia, whose histamine levels are higher than normal. As levels of toxic substances in the body increase, the need for methionine increases.

An essential amino acid, methionine is not synthesized in the body, so must be obtained from food sources or dietary supplements. Good food sources include: beans, eggs, fish, garlic, lentils, onions, soybeas, seeds and yogurt. Because the body uses methionine to derive a brain food called choline, it is wise to supplement the diet with choline or lecithin to ensure the supply of methionine is not depleted.

(Okay... so far so good, but cysteine and taurine are really what caught my attention.)

Cysteine is a sulfur containing amino acid that aids in the formation of skin and is important in detoxification. Cysteine is present in alpha-keratin, the chief protein constitutent of the fingernails, toenails, skin and hair. Cysteine aids in the production of collagen and promotes the proper elasticity and texture of skin. It is found in a variety of other proteins in the body, including several of the digestive enzymes. Cysteine helps to detoxify harmful toxins. It is one of the best free radical destroyers, and works best when taken with selenium and vitamin e. Cysteine is also precursor to glutathione. Glutathione is a substance that detoxifies the liver and has an anti aging effect, like reducing the accumulation of age spots. Vitamin B6 is necessary for cysteine synthesis, which may not take place as it should in the presence of chronic disease. Cysteine is recommended for rheumatoid arthritis, hardening of the arteries, and mutogenic disorders such as cancer. It promotes healing after surgery and severe burns, chelates heavy metals and aids in iron absorption. It also promotes the burning of fat and the building of muscle. Because of its ability to breakdown mucus in the respiratory tract, it is often beneficial in the treatment of bronchitis, emphysema and tuberculosis. People who have diabetes should be cautious about supplemental cysteine because it is capable of inactivating insulin. It should not be taken in amounts over 1000mg per day as it can be toxic.


Taurine is a building block for all the other amino acids as well as a key component of bile, which is needed for the digestion of fats, the absorption of fat-soluable vitamins, and the control of serum cholesterol levels, It can be useful for people with atherosclerosis, edema, heart disorders, hypertension, or hypoglycemia. It is vital for the proper utilization of sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Taurine has a protective effect on the brain. It is used to treat anxiety, epilepsy, hyperactivity, poor brain function and seizures, Taurine is found in concentrations up to four times greater in children than adults. Taruine is also associated with zinc in maintaing eye function, a deficiency in both may impair vision. Excessive losses of taurine through urine can be caused by many metabolic disorders....cardiac arrhythmia, intestinal problems, overgrowth of candida, physical or emotional stress, zinc deficiency, excessive alcohol. Taurine is found in eggs, fish, meat and milk, but not in vegetable proteins. It can be synthesized from cysteine and methionine, as long as sufficient quantities of vitamin b6 are present.



In reading up about this, I also found that methionine will increase serotonin. Methionine, Cysteine and Taurine are all sulfur containing amino acids. I also found out that many amino acids are genetically linked.

Besides nutritional deficiencies, I also read that a Gaba deficiency can create a methionine deficiency (by causing acetylcholine to be to high (which causes sweating) and using choline and depleting methionine). Gaba is another amino acid, and it also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain and central nervous system. It prevents stress and anxiety related messages to reach the brain, and seems to be the main antagonist against acetylcholine. Or other possibilities seem to be low dopamine and noradrenaline (mood enhancers. The amino acid that makes these is tyrosine...which is also responsible for thyroid function) or low serotonin (through a different pathway than methionine). These five, acetylcholine, Gaba, serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline are all major brain neurotransmitters and are controlled by amino acids. Another amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter is glycine, and low levels can cause acetlycholine to be high (although this doesn't work in the brain, but in the body through the CNS). The levels of these neurotransmitters can go up and down with each other. Another possibility for low methionine is through a deficiency in a Gaba precursor, arginine (responsible for growth).

So what does anyone think about this? It sounds really good to me. At the very least, it seems to me that methionine could help Keratosis Pilaris. And geez...who really knew that the food we eat (and the amino acids in them) could really affect our mood!

Oh ya, I forgot to add: feel free to correct me or add to this. I'm still learning .

Oyyyy i think i need the layman's terms of that whole thing..

Hiya Lindsay! Um-er-ah ... you WERE joking, right, when you said 'geez...who really knew that the food we eat (and the amino acids in them) could really affect our mood'... ... ... ... right?! ... ... ... ...Nice article, & thanks very much for posting it. Knew a little about several of those but certainly not 'all' (and not about some of the 'relationships') ... but siiigh! now I'm gonna have to go look allll that stuff up for actual food sources as it doesn't seem to mention any -- meanie ole article, lol. I'm guessin it was written by someone advising supplements (hm, was it?), but I'd much rather avoid supplements if it's at all humanly possible to get the same things through a few dietary adjustments. Though of COURSE it'll turn out that to obtain those necessary and wonderfully beneficial nutrients, one must consume something like oh say a pound of nice fresh sloth meat or a gallon of delicious raw sewage per day. Luckily, for some odd reason, it's NEVER an essential nutrient (or two or three) in a pound of disgusting potato chips or a gallon of revolting ice cream ... noooooo ...

Hi Aquarius84. Basically what I am saying is that an amino acid called methionine might help with our skin. Not only methionine, but the amino acids that methionine can convert to, which are cysteine and taurine. One can be deficient in methionine for probably two reasons: first because they are not getting enough from their diet, or second because an amino acid that brings down methionine is out of balance So that is where my explanation about Gaba, tyrosine, serotonin (which can come from tryptophan) or arginine comes from. Any of these can cause methionine to be lowered. And some of these amino acids are determined by genetics. As for a third reason, having a genetic deficiency in methionine, I haven't read anything about that (although people with schizophrenia often have low levels of methionine and high histamine.)

So if one were to have a low level of methionine because of a nutritional deficiency, one can just eat more foods containing methionine. Or one can supplement with methionine, or garlic capsules. If it's because of the second reason, because methionine levels are being affected by other amino acids, then obviously these other amino acids would have to be corrected in order to get to the root of the problem.

And I'll add this: all three amino acids, methionine, cysteine and taurine contain sulfur. So at the very least this would be like taking sulfur internally, instead of just using sulfur soap.

Anyways, I hope this helps!

Hello Seniorskin. I'm ashamed to admit it, but yes I was being serious about not knowing how much our food intake can affect our mood. I mean, I knew the basics, but I didn't know the extent in which amino acids could affect a person. And I didn't just mean mood from neurotransmitters, I mean mood from hormones as well. I had nooooo idea that our hormone levels can be affected by our amino acid levels. Goodness, I've had a ridiculous hormonal disorder for almost 14 years (I'm 21 now), and no one ever told me that maybe I could change my diet so that my hormonal disorder isn't so bad. Haha, I wish I had someone like you to tell me!

Anyways, about the food sources, I copied everything that is in my book about that. Methionine is an essential amino acid, so it needs to be obtained entirely from our diet. And I listed the foods that contain the most of it. Then cysteine is made from methionine, so it is a nonessential amino acid, so it is not directly obtained from our diet. Taurine can be made from methionine, and can also be obtained from our diet. And I wrote a few down for that. And ya, I agree, I wish chips and ice cream contained something essential....maybe you could discover (or make it up, whatever you prefer) something essential in them and make a million bucks lol.

Lindsay, the more I read that the more I too am getting intrigued (and I finally did find some of the food sources in there -- just blame these old eyes, orrrr, maybe a lack of taurine..?!). Yep, the more I read over it, the more I believe I agree with you especially about the taurine -- particularly as I have a few of those other, possibly-taurine-related conditions besides kp, except in most cases I knew about those for years, while oddly the KP (which I assume from its appearance is the 'alba' type) began to show up/ gradually spread only about some 5 to 8 years ago ... but then again I can certainly think of one possible reason why it did this. ... ... And of course as you say there's methionine kinda at the bottom of it all [and oops I forgot, maybe gaba too!]. Feel happy that hub & I both eat all of the food sources mentioned on quite a regular basis; no guarantee our bodies are actually 'using' it properly, but still makes me happy for some dumb reason ... Also interesting to me : Always did wonder why the current big thing among people with acne (not sure if KP too tho) is to eliminate all dairy from the diet "except yogurt" -- guess the fact that apparently it's a methionine source must be one reason for that. ... Anyway, thanks again for posting the info, it definitely is food for thought ... or, well, maybe supplements for thought {{:^D))

Has no one tried this, or is interested in it? Hmmm....I guess I will continue with it and in a couple months I will write about my results.

Ahhhh ok I get what you're sayin Lindsay, that was just total information overload!! LOL... But thanks for simplifying it for me. Well I will look into that and please let us know if you get any results!

I trend to sweat a lot more than other guys... how about you guys???

Anyway, thanks a lot Lindsay. I think the answer should be somewhere there in between amino acids or hormones!!

Thanks, great post!!

Marky

I said that I'd write about my results in a couple months, but I thought I could give a brief update right now. I've been taking the methionine and gaba/glycine for about two weeks now and have noticed some great results so far.

Almost every part of my body is covered with bumps or dots, except for my face, stomach and hands and feet. The areas that are covered in bumps are my neck, chest, arms, and back. Within a few days I noticed that the areas covered in bumps were getting smoother. And they still seem to be getting even more smooth. Because this has happened in such a short time, I wasn't exactly positive if my skin was in fact getting smoother and/or if the methionine was the cause. I didn't want to jump the gun or anything. Anyways, just recently a couple things (strange things ) have made me think that maybe my skin is improving because of the methionine (or I suppose it could be the glycine). First, within the last couple of days I have noticed that the bottom of my feet are peeling a lot. And I mean a lot. And I have never had this happen before. Of course I don't exfoliate my feet everyday, but I do the rest of my body, so maybe that is what is happening to my body as well and I'm just not noticing it. The second thing is that a few people have told me how good my arms look. And I never ever have that said to me .

As for the red dots....ummm, I'm not so sure if there has been a difference. And it's so hard to tell because I inspect them everyday.
But that's about it so far...I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and I'll write again.

Hi Lindsay!!

Her, where did you get these amino acids? I'd like to try them myself...sounds like a good move...

Thanks, and good luck!

Marky

I was really interested in what you wrote about methionine so I looked it up and got a short and sweet piece of info that may be more digestible for those who didn't understand the longer explanation.


METHIONINE (Essential Amino Acid)

Is a principle supplier of sulfur which prevents disorders of the hair, skin and nails; helps lower cholesterol levels by increasing the liver's production of lecithin; reduces liver fat and protects the kidneys; a natural chelating agent for heavy metals; regulates the formation of ammonia and creates ammonia-free urine which reduces bladder irritation; influences hair follicles and promotes hair growth.

TAURINE (Non-Essential Amino Acid)

Helps stabilize the excitability of membranes which is very important in the control of epileptic seizures. Taurine and sulfur are considered to be factors necessary for the control of many biochemical changes that take place in the aging process; aids in the clearing of free radical wastes.

CYSTINE (Non-Essential Amino Acid)

Functions as an antioxidant and is a powerful aid to the body in protecting against radiation and pollution. It can help slow down the aging process, deactivate free radicals, neutralize toxins; aids in protein synthesis and presents cellular change. It is necessary for the formation of the skin, which aids in the recovery from burns and surgical operations. Hair and skin are made up 10-14% Cystine.

Lindsay,

How much methionine and GABA are you taking? is it on powder? is it still working?
I believe this condition must be treaten from the inside,

Cheers,

MArky

Lindsay, do you feel more relaxed as well? Gaba is meant to make you feel less anxious too, what a great supplment!
Claire.

Hi !

Just bought me some mothionine and other stuff and tealized that these sulfur containing amino acids are responsible for the production of KERATIN (which we have plenty of, actually tooooo much).
How is KP anyway?

Just thought maybe we should look for stoping production of keratin (keratinocytes are the cells producing it) and therefire stio with our "over-production" of KERATIN wich is by definition our condition.

Good Luck!!

Marky