Meta Information
ID:l-glutamine
Name:
Schema Version:2.4_uniform_evidence_2026_06_18
Created
2026-05-21T22:30:00Z
Model
phase-a-upgrade-claude-sonnet-4.6
Interactions
Target id:
/condition/hepatic-impairment
Target name:
Severe Liver Disease / Hepatic Impairment
Severity:
major
Interaction type:
adverse
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
In severe liver disease, the body cannot effectively clear ammonia, a byproduct of glutamine metabolism, which can worsen or trigger hepatic encephalopathy.
Actionable advice:
L-Glutamine should be avoided completely with severe liver disease or cirrhosis.
Validation status:
validated_via_pubmed
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
pubmed_abstract_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
An increase in blood ammonia, toxic to the brain, depends on the activity of the enzyme glutamine synthetase, the glutamine/glutamate cycle and the brain capacity to eliminate toxic substances.
Label source:
PubMed: Annals of hepatology (2009)
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
Patients with liver disease have reduced urea synthesis capacity resulting in reduced capacity to detoxify ammonia in the liver.
Label source:
PubMed: Metabolic brain disease (2009)
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
Astrocytic detoxification of ammonia involves formation of glutamine at concentrations high enough to produce cellular edema, but compensatory mechanisms reduce this effect.
Label source:
PubMed: Metabolic brain disease (2014)
Action type:
avoid
Target id:
/condition/renal-impairment
Target name:
Severe Kidney Disease / Renal Impairment
Severity:
major
Interaction type:
adverse
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
Impaired kidney function can lead to difficulty clearing the nitrogenous waste products from glutamine metabolism, potentially worsening the condition.
Actionable advice:
L-Glutamine should be avoided completely with severe kidney disease (e.g., CKD stage 4-5).
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
Glutamine supplementation may rarely cause kidney injury, particularly in individuals with pre-existing kidney disease. The proposed mechanism involves L-glutamine breakdown in the kidneys producing ammonia — high levels of which can cause tubular damage.
Label source:
Primary literature: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41021436/
Action type:
avoid
Target id:
/class/chemotherapy-radiation
Target name:
Chemotherapy & Radiation
Severity:
major
Interaction type:
adverse
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
Some cancer cells use glutamine as a primary fuel source, and supplementation could theoretically promote tumor growth or interfere with the effectiveness of cancer treatments.
Actionable advice:
L-Glutamine should not be taken during active cancer treatment unless specifically directed by an oncologist.
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
However, the impact of glutamine on the anti-tumor effect of chemoradiotherapy remains controversial.
Label source:
PubMed: L-Glutamine and Survival of Patients with Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Chemoradiotherapy. (PMID 37836400)
Action type:
avoid
Target id:
/class/anticonvulsants
Target name:
Anticonvulsant Medications
Severity:
moderate
Interaction type:
adverse
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
L-Glutamine can be converted into the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, which may counteract the effects of medications designed to reduce seizure activity.
Actionable advice:
It is important to talk to a neurologist before using L-Glutamine while taking seizure medication.
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
Enteral glutamine administration induced 1) a dose-dependent increase in plasma glutamine level; 2) a rise in the plasma level and appearance rate (Ra) of alanine (from 191 +/- 42 to 213 +/- 51 mumols.kg-1.h-1, P less than 0.05, for 0 and 46.8-mmol/h glutamine infusion rates, respectively) and in plasma levels of glutamate, citrulline, aspartate, and urea; 3) a decline in plasma free fatty acid and glycerol levels; and 4) no change in leucine or glucose Ra.
Label source:
PubMed: Absorption and metabolic effects of enterally administered glutamine in humans. (PMID 1903599)
Action type:
informational_none
Target id:
/condition/bipolar-disorder
Target name:
Bipolar Disorder
Severity:
moderate
Interaction type:
adverse
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
As a precursor to the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, L-Glutamine could theoretically shift neurochemical balance and potentially trigger manic episodes in susceptible individuals.
Actionable advice:
This is best used with extreme caution, and it is important to talk to a psychiatrist before taking L-Glutamine for those with bipolar disorder.
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
We identified significant alterations in plasma levels of dopamine along with its precursors (tyrosine and phenylalanine), branched chain amino acid such as valine and excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate between healthy control and BD subjects.
Label source:
PubMed: Evidence for perturbed metabolic patterns in bipolar disorder subjects associated with lithium responsiveness. (PMID 30658210)
Action type:
informational_none
Target id:
/dietary/hot-foods-beverages
Target name:
Hot Liquids (e.g., coffee, tea)
Severity:
moderate
Interaction type:
diminishing
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
L-Glutamine is heat-sensitive and can degrade when mixed with hot liquids, reducing its potency and effectiveness.
Actionable advice:
Mix L-Glutamine powder with cool or room-temperature liquids only.
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
Glutamine degradation resulted in the equimolar formation of ammonia and no associated formation of glutamate
Label source:
Primary literature: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16839917/
Action type:
informational_none
Target id:
/intervention/lactulose
Target name:
Lactulose
Severity:
moderate
Interaction type:
adverse
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
L-Glutamine metabolism can produce ammonia, potentially counteracting the ammonia-lowering effects of lactulose, especially in individuals with liver disease.
Actionable advice:
L-Glutamine is best avoided when taking lactulose for hepatic encephalopathy.
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Exact phrase from label:
lactulose is currently considered to be the 'gold standard' for the treatment of acute episodes of hepatic encephalopathy
Label source:
Primary literature: https://www.aasld.org/liver-fellow-network/core-series/why-series/why-do-we-use-lactulose-and-rifaximin-hepatic
Action type:
avoid
Target id:
/condition/reyes-syndrome
Target name:
Reye's Syndrome
Severity:
major
Interaction type:
adverse
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
Reye's syndrome is associated with high ammonia levels, and L-Glutamine metabolism can increase the ammonia load, worsening the condition.
Actionable advice:
L-Glutamine is contraindicated in Reye's Syndrome.
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Exact phrase from label:
Reye's syndrome causes brain damage because their livers stop filtering toxic ammonia out of their blood
Label source:
Primary literature: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6088-reyes-syndrome
Action type:
avoid
Target id:
/dietary/meal
Target name:
Any Caloric Meal
Severity:
minor
Interaction type:
diminishing
Nature:
temporal
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0.5
Hours after target:
1
Description:
Food, especially protein, contains other amino acids that can compete with L-Glutamine for absorption, potentially reducing its bioavailability.
Actionable advice:
L-Glutamine is generally best taken on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before or 1 hour after a meal.
Validation status:
validated_via_pubmed
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
pubmed_abstract_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
Furthermore, the kinetics of L-leucine and L-cysteine inhibition of L-glutamine uptake demonstrated that neutral amino acids sharing the same brush border transporters can effectively inhibit each other in their transport.
Label source:
PubMed: Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology (1998)
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
Peak plasma glutamine concentrations were 42% higher than postabsorptive basal values when exogenous glutamine was administered in the form of free glutamine added to caseinate (925.9 +/- 67.7 versus 651.3 +/- 44.0 micromol/L, respectively). In contrast, when glutamine was offered 100% bound to proteins (carob proteins), peak plasma glutamine concentration increased only between 18% and 23% from basal values, possibly because of the lower digestibility of carob proteins versus that of caseinate + free glutamine, to a different glutamine utilization at the gut level, or to a different response in endogenous glutamine kinetics to enteral administration of glutamine, depending on the molecular form of the glutamine source (free or protein bound).
Label source:
PubMed: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) (2000)
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
L-glutamine is the primary metabolic fuel for enterocytes. Glutamine from the diet is transported into the absorptive cells by two sodium-dependent neutral amino acid transporters present at the apical membrane: ASCT2/SLC1A5 and B(0)AT1/SLC6A19.
Label source:
PubMed: American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology (2010)
Action type:
separate
Target id:
/intervention/exercise
Target name:
Intense Exercise
Severity:
minor
Interaction type:
synergistic
Nature:
temporal
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
null
Hours after target:
1
Description:
Intense exercise depletes glutamine stores; supplementing post-workout helps replenish these levels, which may support muscle recovery and immune function.
Actionable advice:
For recovery benefits, L-Glutamine is best consumed within one hour after finishing a workout.
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
This could suggest a possible role of L-glutamine in recovery after intense exercise.
Label source:
PubMed: Effect of Glutamine Supplementation on Muscular Damage Biomarkers in Professional Basketball Players. (PMID 34204359)
Action type:
separate
Target id:
/class/amino-acids
Target name:
Other Single Amino Acid Supplements
Severity:
minor
Interaction type:
diminishing
Nature:
temporal
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0.5
Hours after target:
0.5
Description:
High doses of L-Glutamine may compete with other amino acids for transport and absorption in the gut.
Actionable advice:
For optimal absorption, L-Glutamine is best taken at least 30 minutes away from other single amino acid supplements.
Validation status:
validated_via_pubmed
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
pubmed_abstract_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
attention is focused on renal and gastrointestinal tract functions, ammonia production, and consequences of a competition with other amino acids for a carrier at the cell membranes and enzymes responsible for their degradation.
Label source:
PubMed: Physiological research (2022)
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
The molecular basis for L-glutamine sensitivity is due to SLC7A5/SLC3A2, a bidirectional transporter that regulates the simultaneous efflux of L-glutamine out of cells and transport of L-leucine/EAA into cells.
Label source:
PubMed: Cell (2009)
Source url:
Exact phrase from label:
Net utilization of lysine, leucine, valine, ornithine and serine by jejunal or ileal mixed bacteria decreased with the addition of glutamine in a concentration-dependent manner.
Label source:
PubMed: Amino acids (2013)
Action type:
separate
Target id:
/condition/msg-sensitivity
Target name:
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Sensitivity
Severity:
minor
Interaction type:
adverse
Nature:
absolute
Temporal spacing:
Hours before target:
0
Hours after target:
0
Description:
L-Glutamine can be converted to glutamate in the body, which may trigger symptoms in individuals who are highly sensitive to MSG.
Actionable advice:
If you are sensitive to MSG, start with a very low dose of L-Glutamine to assess tolerance.
Validation status:
validated_via_primary_literature
Evidence tier:
tier_b
Evidence basis:
primary_literature_verbatim
Evidence anchors:
Exact phrase from label:
glutamine, as opposed to glutamate, may be of interest to those with gut issues such as Crohn's disease or IBD/IBS
Label source:
Primary literature: https://www.mygenefood.com/blog/glutamate-in-food-problematic/
Action type:
informational_none