About 5-ALA
5-ALA refers to 5-AminoLevulinic Acid, is also known as the substance for the “”Source Of Life”” as it is deeply involved in the birth of life.
For over 3.6 billion years, this naturally occurring amino acid is produced in various living organisms, such as plants and animals. It is the catalyst for photosynthesis in plants and maintains energy production and moisture retention in animal and human cells.
What is 5-ALA?
5-ALA supports health, beauty and vitality.
With the hidden power of 5-ALA, it leads to unprecedented brilliance.
There is only one role for 5-ALA in the human body, as precursor of heme (haem). Apart from serving as key functional substance for formation of red pigment (hemoglobin) in the blood which distributes oxygen throughout the body, heme is also the central substance in the respiratory chain complex that produces energy from glucose and oxygen. Without 5-ALA we would not be able to gain energy or even move.
5-ALA ~ The Substance for ‘Source Of Life’
8 molecules of 5-ALA form the basic structure of Heme (Haem) and Chlorophyll. Heme is the central substance in the respiratory chain complex that produces energy from food and oxygen, which is the basis of our vital activities. Chlorophyll, on the other hand plays a central role in plant photosynthesis.
Plants produce oxygen and plant cells from light and carbon dioxide via photosynthesis. Animals, including humans, consume oxygen and plants to exhale carbon dioxide, which is used to grow the plant again. This energy cycle of life, which has been going on since ancient times , would never be possible without the two wheels, heme and chlorophyll – both of which are formed from 5-ALA.
5-ALA is regarded as the source of life on earth.
How is 5-ALA made?
5-ALA is made in the mitochondria of human cells. Mitochondria are our internal “energy production factories” that generate energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from oxygen and glucose. 5-ALA plays a vital role in enhancing mitochondrial function.
Action of 5-ALA in Mitochondria, the “Energy Factory” of Cells
5-ALA is an important ingredient that supports your health, beauty & vitality
A substance called heme is indispensable for mitochondria to operate. This heme is produced only from 5-ALA and is involved in the production of ATP and the decomposition of reactive oxygen species.
In short, 5-ALA is an important ingredient that supports your health.
5-ALA ~ Metabolism
5-ALA is a type of amino acid originally found in the body and has the power to promote intracellular energy metabolism. 5-ALA becomes a substance called PPIX (porphyrin IX) in cells, and this PPIX has the characteristic of accumulating in cancer cells and emits light when exposed to specific light. Utilizing this property, it is being applied to the medical field such as identification of cancer sites during surgery.
In addition, There is only one role for 5-ALA in the human body, as precursor of Heme (haem). Heme, formed by a combination of eight 5-ALAs, is the key to a number of vital activities. 5-ALA becomes a substance called heme in the body when iron is added. When a protein called globin binds to this substance, it becomes hemoglobin that carries oxygen. Due to these characteristics, it is expected to be applied to various fields.
Traces of 5-ALA in Food
Comparison of 5-ALA content in various food.
How to take 5-ALA 10mg from food...
Equivalent to
50kg
Spinach
Equivalent to
6.7kg
Black Vinegar
Equivalent to
102kg
Tomatoes
Equivalent to
5.8kg
Wine
Reference: Heme-constituting amino acid 5-ALA (5-aminolevulinic acid)-Current status of fermentation production, metabolism, and application development-Table 2 Amino acid research Vol.6, No.1, (2012)
5-ALA Content In Food [µg / 100g]
| FOOD | 5-ALA [µg] |
|---|---|
| Potato | 7.0~9.0 |
| Tofu | 1 |
| Natto | 25 |
| Soy Sauce | 22 |
| Sauce | 21.2 |
| Sake | 70~353 |
| Wine | 110~173 |
| Mushroom | 5~45 |
| Black Vinegar | 70~353 |
| Soybean | 5~7 |
| Carrot | 0.8 |
| Spinach | 13.8 |
| Pepper | 18.1 |
| Tomato | 9.8 |
| Onion | 1.1 |
| Cabbage | 1.3 |
| FOOD | 5-ALA [µg] |
|---|---|
| Cucumber | 2 |
| Napa Cabbage | 0.7 |
| Crown Daisy | 5.2 |
| Apple | 0.8 |
| Bannana | 31.6 |
| Kyoho Grape | 13.6 |
| Salmon & Trout | 0.2 |
| Tuna (Lean) | 0.8 |
| Squid | 38.4 |
| Octopus | 78.4 |
| Minced Beef | 9.8 |
| Beef Rib | 0.8 |
| Minced Pork | 5.6 |
| Minced Chicken | 4.3 |
| Kelp | 0.7 |
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RELATED JOURNALS FOR REFERENCE
- Ogura S, Maruyama K, Hagiya Y, Sugiyama Y, Tsuchiya K, Takahashi K, et al. The effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid oncytoch.rome c oxidase activity in mouse liver. BMC Res Notes. 2011;4:66.
- Shimura M, Nozawa N, Ogawa-Tominaga M, Fushimi T, Tajika M, Ichimoto K, et al. Effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid and sodium ferrous citrate on fibroblasts from individuals with mitochondrial diseases. Sci Rep. 2019 Jul 22;9(1):10549.
- Yamashita, Naohide & Watanabe, Atai & Kondo, Hikaru & Kawata, Satofumi & Tanaka, Tohru & Nakajima, Motowo. (2014). Safety test of a supplement, 5-aminolevulinic acid phosphate with sodium ferrous citrate, in diabetic patients treated with oral hypoglycemic agents. Functional Foods in Health & Disease. 4. 415-428. 10.31989/ffhd.v4i9.151.
- Al-Saber, Feryal & Aldosari, Waleed & Alselaiti, Mariam & Khalfan, Hesham & Kaladari, Ahmed & Khan, Ghulam & Harb, George & Rehani, Riyadh & Kudo, Sizuka & Koda, Aya & Tanaka, Tohru & Nakajima, Motowo & Darwish, Abdulla. (2016). The Safety and Tolerability of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Phosphate with Sodium Ferrous Citrate in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Bahrain. Journal of Diabetes Research. 2016. 1-10. 10.1155/2016/8294805.
- Rodriguez BL, Curb JD, Davis J, Shintani T, Perez MH, Apau-Ludlum N, Johnson C, Harrigan RC. Use of the dietary supplement 5-aminiolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and its relationship with glucose levels and hemoglobin A1C among individuals with prediabetes. Clin Transl Sci. 2012 Aug;5(4):314-20. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-8062.2012.00421.x. Epub 2012 Jun 1. PMID: 22883608; PMCID: PMC5439781
- Rehani PR, Iftikhar H, Nakajima M, Tanaka T, Jabbar Z, Rehani RN. Safety and Mode of Action of Diabetes Medications in comparison with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA). J Diabetes Res. 2019 Nov 6;2019:4267357. doi: 10.1155/2019/4267357. PMID: 31781665; PMCID: PMC6874935.
- Higashikawa F, Noda M, Awaya T, Tanaka T, Sugiyama M. 5-aminolevulinic acid, a precursor of heme, reduces both fasting and postprandial glucose levels in mildly hyperglycemic subjects. Nutrition. 2013 Jul-Aug;29(7-8):1030-6. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2013.02.008. PMID: 23759263.