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Glutamine
Purported Benefits, Side Effects & More
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This information describes the common uses of Glutamine, how it works, and its possible side effects.
Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. This will help them manage your care and keep you safe.
What is it?
Glutamine is a chemical that your body makes to build protein. It’s also found in foods such as wheat, corn, barley, peanuts, soybeans, egg whites, and milk.
You can also take glutamine supplements as a pill or powder (which can be made into a drink by dissolving it in water).
What are the potential uses and benefits?
Glutamine is used to:
Treat weakness and loss of muscle mass caused by cancer treatment
Treat neuropathy (numbness or tingling hands and feet) caused by chemotherapy
Treat nausea (feeling like you’re going to throw up), vomiting (throwing up), and diarrhea (loose, watery bowel movements) due to cancer treatments
Help recovery after surgery by reducing your risk for infection
Glutamine also has other uses that haven’t been studied by doctors to see if they work.
Glutamine that you get from food is safe. Talk with your healthcare provider before taking glutamine supplements because they have higher amounts of glutamine.
Supplements can also interact with some medications and affect how they work. For more information, read the “What else do I need to know?” section below.
What are the side effects?
Side effects of using glutamine may include:
Swelling
Headache
Fever
Nausea (feeling like you’re going to throw up)
Vomiting (throwing up)
Infections
What else do I need to know?
Do not confuse glutamine with another chemical known as glutamate, which is important for normal brain function. Taking too much glutamate can cause seizures and kill brain cells.