Tried or prescribed Methionine? Share your experience.
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Methionine is an essential amino acid—one of the building blocks of proteins and peptides that your body cannot manufacture from other chemicals. The body uses methionine to manufacture creatine and uses the sulfur in methionine for normal metabolism and growth.
One preliminary study suggests that methionine can prevent bacteria from sticking to urinary tract cells, 1 which may make it useful for preventing bladder infections. ( Cranberry juice is thought to help reduce the incidence of bladder infections in a similar fashion.)
Because it seems to discourage bacteria from sticking to the wall of the bladder, methionine has been suggested as a treatment for recurrent bladder infections . 2 However, the evidence that it works is limited to one small trial without a placebo control. (For information on why placebo-controlled trials are essential to prove a treatment effective, see Why Does This Database Depend on Double-Blind Studies? )
One double-blind study found equiviocal evidence that methionine supplements taken at a dose of 2.4 g per day might improve immune function in people with HIV . 3 One study on rats suggests that methionine might protect the liver against the damaging effects of acetaminophen poisoning. 4 On this slim basis, methionine has been proposed as a general liver protectant...
Safety Issues
Methionine is thought to be generally safe. However, the maximum safe dosages for young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with serious liver or kidney disease have not been established.
Like other amino acids, methionine may interfere with the absorption or action of the drug levodopa, which is used for Parkinson's disease . 5
Interactions You Should Know About
If you are taking:
- Methionine: Be sure to get enough folate , vitamin B 6 , and vitamin B 12 . 6
- Levodopa : Methionine might interfere with its action.
