L-arginine is a key building block and supports numerous areas of human biochemistry. It’s an amino acid that provides critical support [1] such as “ammonia detoxification, hormone secretion, and immune modulation.” To clarify the above statement, your body treats ammonia as a waste product. It removes ammonia (produced by your body and is harmful to your brain) through your liver. Your body can also turn it into a compound called urea. It will then move through the bloodstream, passes your kidneys, and is finally removed via urine. L-arginine also supports hormone secretion (forming or releasing hormones). Since balanced hormones are essential to healing breast cancer and many other diseases women face, it’s another reason why taking L-arginine may be another tool for your healing journey. Lastly, immune modulation is about supporting a strong immune system that is key to your healing.
L-arginine [2] is also beneficial for maintaining healthy tissue and bones, helping you look and feel younger! It does so by serving as a precursor to nitric oxide, which is needed to ensure the arterial system retains its youthful elasticity.
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What is L-Arginine Made Of?
I briefly mentioned a few ways L-Arginine works, and now I will discuss what it is. L-arginine is a circulation and immunity-boosting amino acid powerhouse! L-arginine can be found in many foods, including nuts, soy, red meat, whole grains, fish, and dairy products. Oral, IV, and topical supplements are also used in specific protocols to treat various health issues, including breast cancer. You can find my preferred brand HERE [2].
To go into detail about the name, the letter L in front of Arginine stands for “levorotatory”, which allows it to be easily absorbed into your body. Amino acids are molecules that produce proteins when combined with other molecules. An amino acid chain forms a protein, essential to the functioning of every cell in your body and producing energy. When your body is under stress, illness, malnutrition, and injury, higher levels of L-Arginine can help your body to heal naturally.
L-arginine + Breast Cancer
Researchers are finally taking the time to study the positive impacts of L-arginine [2] and breast cancer. While we are still in the early days, the results are promising and exciting! Below are a few key studies to review:
- 2016 study [3] concludes that in mice, “L-arginine supplementation significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival time, which was associated with the reduction of MDSCs, and enhanced innate and adaptive immune responses.”
- 2017 study [4] states: “…clarified that using L-arginine in combination with 5-FU increased the effect of this chemotherapy drug on BT-20 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.”
- 2016 results [5] included: “…potential usefulness as a therapeutic target, not only for the modulation of Nitric Oxide levels but also for endocrine therapy in breast cancer.”
- 2018 study [6] found: “The extent to which immune cells and tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment respond to arginine metabolism could predict better immunotherapy outcomes.”
Cancer cells (like normal cells) rely on certain amino acids for growth. L-arginine can help overload the cancer cells with amino acids they don’t want, thus starving the cancer cells. It also helps assist traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy by strengthening your immune system to provide even better results.
L-arginine: An Integrative Tool
Using L-Arginine as an integrative healing tool is just getting started. The research is positive, and many more uses are uncovered every day. For example, researchers [7] recently used L-Arginine to enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy in cancer patients with brain metastases. The results are exciting: “Nearly 78% had a complete or partial response in their brain tumors over the follow-up period of up to four years, while only 22 percent of the 32 patients who received a placebo prior to radiotherapy had such a response.”
“Based on these findings, we should continue to investigate arginine in combination with radiotherapy but also in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy, and even arginine on its own,” said senior author Dr. Leandro Cerchietti [7]. Another amazing story of integrating conventional cancer treatments with natural medicine to provide even more effective cancer treatments with reduced negative side effects!
Take The Integrative Approach 
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Using L-arginine [2] could be ONE of the ways you heal your immune system, support arterial health, and shrink cancer. Since no single treatment will heal your overall body, I created the 7 Essentials System® [9] and the Survive & Thrive [8]: Conquering Breast Cancer with Conventional Treatments and Natural Medicine online program.
It takes a multitude of changes in diet, energy, stress, lifestyle, and treatments to heal and live a vibrantly healthy life. One thing did not cause the cancer, so one thing will not heal it. If you find using all the options available to create a specific healing plan overwhelming, partnering with a private coach [10] is an ideal choice. She will work with your team to create a specific plan and guide you every step of your way to vibrant health for life!
Other Uses Of L-Arginine
Since boosting your immune system and blood circulation is wonderfully beneficial for your body in general, it is no surprise that L-Arginine serves your entire body.
- Builds and maintains strong tissues and bones
- Supports arterial health
- Helps your body maintain already healthy blood pressure levels
- Boosts your immune system
- Improves stamina and promotes muscle growth when exercising
- Might decrease symptoms of people with mild to serves forms of chest pain (angina)
- Lowers blood pressure for people with hypertension
- Might improve erectile dysfunction
- Boosts the human growth hormone, which slows down the aging process
A few possible negative side effects:
- Cold sores or genital herpes: Too much L-arginine in your system can potentially trigger the virus that causes those conditions
- Recent heart attack: Do not take L-arginine
- Allergies or asthma: Use with caution as it could worsen these conditions by causing airway inflammation
- Nausea, abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea
- Diabetes: L-arginine might decrease blood sugar levels in people with diabetes
Please note: Always talk to your medical team before taking L-arginine or any type of supplement.