Leucine is an amino acid found in foods like cheese, egg or fish.
Leucine serves to increase muscle mass and can be used as a dietary supplement, both for those who practice physical exercise and want to gain muscle mass, as well as for the elderly to improve physical mobility, decreasing the speed of muscle atrophy typical of age.
Leucine supplements are readily available at health food stores or drugstores, but despite this, it is possible to ingest leucine by adopting a varied diet rich in food sources of leucine.
List of foods rich in Leucine
The main foods rich in leucine are meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products because they are foods rich in protein, but other foods also have this amino acid present, such as:
| Leucine-rich foods | Energy in 100 g |
| Peanut | 577 calories |
| Cashew nut | 609 calories |
| Brazil nut | 699 calories |
| Hazelnut | 633 calories |
| Cucumber | 15 calories |
| Tomato | 20 calories |
| Eggplant | 19 calories |
| Cabbage | 25 calories |
| Okra | 39 calories |
| Spinach | 22 calories |
| Bean | 360 calories |
| Peas | 100 calories |
Leucine is an essential amino acid for the body and, therefore, it is important to consume foods rich in leucine to have the necessary amounts of this amino acid.
The recommended daily dose of leucine per day is 2.9 g in a healthy 70 kg individual, for example.
What is Leucine for
Leucine serves to help maintain muscle mass, lower blood sugar levels, increase the body's defenses and aid in the healing of fractured bones.
Before and after any surgery, foods with a high content of this amino acid should be eaten to help with healing and recovery.
Leucine Supplement
The leucine supplement can be purchased in health food stores, pharmacies or on websites and is in the form of powder or capsules.
To take leucine, the recommended amount is approximately 1 to 5 g of powdered leucine, 10 to 15 minutes before main meals, such as lunch and dinner or before exercise. Before taking any supplement, it is important to consult with a health professional, such as a nutritionist, to find out the dosage and how to take it properly considering the individual's health status.
Although there is a leucine supplement, food supplements generally contain leucine, isoleucine and valine together because these amino acids are the BCAAs that make up 35% of the muscle and are indispensable for the maintenance and growth of muscles, the supplement being more effective with 3 amino acids than just one of them.
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