L-Glutamine Research Studies and Bibliography

This page curates peer-reviewed research on L-glutamine across the major areas of clinical and nutritional interest. Each entry links to a live PubMed search that returns the referenced paper along with other closely related literature. For general background on L-glutamine, see the main L-glutamine article.

Foundational Reviews
Gut Health and Intestinal Permeability
Immune Function
Critical Care and Surgery
Athletic Performance and Recovery
Muscle Wasting and Catabolic States
Metabolic Health, Diabetes, Weight Loss
Glutathione and Antioxidant Status
Brain, Mood, and Neurotransmission
Cancer and Oncology (Precautions)
Safety and Pharmacokinetics
PubMed Search Tools
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Foundational Reviews

Cruzat V, Macedo Rogero M, Noel Keane K, Curi R, Newsholme P (2018). "Glutamine: Metabolism and Immune Function, Supplementation and Clinical Translation." Nutrients 10(11):1564. One of the most comprehensive and frequently cited modern reviews. Search PubMed
Lacey JM, Wilmore DW (1990). "Is glutamine a conditionally essential amino acid?" Nutrition Reviews. The classic paper introducing the conditionally essential concept. Search PubMed
Curi R et al. (2005). "Molecular mechanisms of glutamine action." Journal of Cellular Physiology. Search PubMed
Roth E (2008). "Nonnutritive Effects of Glutamine." Journal of Nutrition. Search PubMed

Gut Health and Intestinal Permeability

Kim MH, Kim H (2017). "The Roles of Glutamine in the Intestine and Its Implication in Intestinal Diseases." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 18(5):1051. Search PubMed
Rao R, Samak G (2012). "Role of Glutamine in Protection of Intestinal Epithelial Tight Junctions." Journal of Epithelial Biology and Pharmacology. Search PubMed
Achamrah N, Déchelotte P, Coëffier M (2017). "Glutamine and the regulation of intestinal permeability: from bench to bedside." Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. Search PubMed
Wang B, Wu G, Zhou Z, Dai Z, Sun Y, Ji Y, Li W, Wang W, Liu C, Han F, Wu Z (2015). "Glutamine and intestinal barrier function." Amino Acids. Search PubMed
Van der Hulst RR, van Kreel BK, von Meyenfeldt MF et al. (1993). "Glutamine and the preservation of gut integrity." The Lancet 341(8857):1363-5. Search PubMed
Benjamin J et al. (2012). "Glutamine and whey protein improve intestinal permeability and morphology in patients with Crohn's disease." Digestive Diseases and Sciences. Search PubMed
Zhou Q et al. (2019). "Randomised placebo-controlled trial of dietary glutamine supplements for postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome." Gut. Search PubMed
Rapin JR, Wiernsperger N (2010). "Possible links between intestinal permeability and food processing: A potential therapeutic niche for glutamine." Clinics. Search PubMed
dos Santos R de GC et al. (2010). "Alanyl-glutamine in the treatment of chronic diarrhea in children." Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Search PubMed

Immune Function

Newsholme P (2001). "Why is L-glutamine metabolism important to cells of the immune system in health, postinjury, surgery or infection?" Journal of Nutrition. Search PubMed
Calder PC, Yaqoob P (1999). "Glutamine and the immune system." Amino Acids. Search PubMed
Ardawi MS, Newsholme EA (1983). "Glutamine metabolism in lymphocytes of the rat." Biochemical Journal. Early foundational biochemistry. Search PubMed
Roth E et al. (2002). "Regulative potential of glutamine — relation to glutathione metabolism." Nutrition. Search PubMed

Critical Care and Surgery

Wischmeyer PE (2003). "Clinical applications of L-glutamine: past, present, and future." Nutrition in Clinical Practice. Search PubMed
Novak F, Heyland DK, Avenell A, Drover JW, Su X (2002). "Glutamine supplementation in serious illness: a systematic review of the evidence." Critical Care Medicine 30(9):2022-9. Search PubMed
Heyland D, Muscedere J, Wischmeyer PE et al. (2013). "A randomized trial of glutamine and antioxidants in critically ill patients (REDOXS trial)." New England Journal of Medicine 368:1489-1497. Search PubMed
Wischmeyer PE et al. (2001). "Glutamine administration reduces gram-negative bacteremia in severely burned patients." Critical Care Medicine. Search PubMed
Garrel D et al. (2003). "Decreased mortality and infectious morbidity in adult burn patients given enteral glutamine supplements." Critical Care Medicine. Search PubMed
Ziegler TR et al. (1992). "Clinical and metabolic efficacy of glutamine-supplemented parenteral nutrition after bone marrow transplantation." Annals of Internal Medicine. Search PubMed

Athletic Performance and Recovery

Castell LM, Newsholme EA (1997). "The effects of oral glutamine supplementation on athletes after prolonged, exhaustive exercise." Nutrition. Search PubMed
Legault Z, Bagnall N, Kimmerly DS (2015). "The Influence of Oral L-Glutamine Supplementation on Muscle Strength Recovery and Soreness Following Unilateral Knee Extension Eccentric Exercise." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Search PubMed
Coqueiro AY, Raizel R, Bonvini A, Tirapegui J, Rogero MM (2019). "Glutamine as an Anti-Fatigue Amino Acid in Sports Nutrition." Nutrients. Search PubMed
Street B et al. (2011). "Glutamine supplementation in recovery from eccentric exercise attenuates strength loss and muscle soreness." Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness. Search PubMed
Bowtell JL et al. (1999). "Effect of oral glutamine on whole body carbohydrate storage during recovery from exhaustive exercise." Journal of Applied Physiology. Search PubMed

Muscle Wasting and Catabolic States

Hickson RC et al. (1995). "Glutamine prevents downregulation of myosin heavy chain synthesis and muscle atrophy from glucocorticoids." American Journal of Physiology. Search PubMed
Biolo G, Zorat F, Antonione R, Ciocchi B (2005). "Muscle glutamine depletion in the intensive care unit." International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Search PubMed

Metabolic Health, Diabetes, and Weight Loss

Laviano A, Molfino A, Lacaria MT, Canelli A, De Leo S, Preziosa I, Rossi Fanelli F (2014). "Glutamine supplementation favors weight loss in nondieting obese female patients: A pilot study." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Search PubMed
de Souza AZ, Zambom AZ, Abboud KY et al. (2015). "Oral supplementation with L-glutamine alters gut microbiota of obese and overweight adults." Nutrition. Search PubMed
Greenfield JR et al. (2009). "Oral glutamine increases circulating glucagon-like peptide 1, glucagon, and insulin concentrations in lean, obese, and type 2 diabetic subjects." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Search PubMed
Mansour A, Mohajeri-Tehrani MR, Qorbani M, Heshmat R, Larijani B, Hosseini S (2015). "Effect of glutamine supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes." Nutrition. Search PubMed
Samocha-Bonet D, Wong O, Synnott EL et al. (2011). "Glutamine reduces postprandial glycemia and augments the glucagon-like peptide-1 response in type 2 diabetes patients." Journal of Nutrition. Search PubMed
Abboud KY et al. (2019). "Oral Glutamine Supplementation Reduces Obesity, Pro-Inflammatory Markers, and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in DIO Wistar Rats." Nutrients. Search PubMed

Glutathione and Antioxidant Status

Amores-Sánchez MI, Medina MÁ (1999). "Glutamine, as a precursor of glutathione, and oxidative stress." Molecular Genetics and Metabolism. Search PubMed
Flaring UB, Rooyackers OE, Wernerman J, Hammarqvist F (2003). "Glutamine attenuates post-traumatic glutathione depletion in human muscle." Clinical Science. Search PubMed
Valencia E et al. (2002). "Impact of oral L-glutamine on glutathione, glutamine, and glutamate blood levels in volunteers." Nutrition. Search PubMed

Brain, Mood, and Neurotransmission

Albrecht J, Sidoryk-Węgrzynowicz M, Zielińska M, Aschner M (2010). "Roles of glutamine in neurotransmission." Neuron Glia Biology. Search PubMed
Bak LK, Schousboe A, Waagepetersen HS (2006). "The glutamate/GABA-glutamine cycle." Journal of Neurochemistry. Search PubMed
Son H et al. (2019). "Glutamine has antidepressive effects through increments of glutamate and glutamine levels and glutamatergic activity in the medial prefrontal cortex." Neuropharmacology. Search PubMed

Cancer and Oncology (Precautions)

Glutamine is extensively studied in oncology because many rapidly dividing tumor cells depend heavily on glutamine metabolism (a phenomenon called "glutamine addiction"). This has led to a nuanced literature: some studies suggest benefit from glutamine supplementation in reducing chemotherapy-induced mucositis and cachexia, while others raise concerns about fueling tumor growth. Cancer patients should always consult their oncology team before supplementing.

Kuhn KS, Muscaritoli M, Wischmeyer P, Stehle P (2010). "Glutamine as indispensable nutrient in oncology: experimental and clinical evidence." European Journal of Nutrition. Search PubMed
Wise DR, Thompson CB (2010). "Glutamine addiction: a new therapeutic target in cancer." Trends in Biochemical Sciences. Search PubMed
Sayles C et al. (2016). "Oral glutamine in preventing treatment-related mucositis in adult patients with cancer." Nutrition in Clinical Practice. Search PubMed

Safety and Pharmacokinetics

Gleeson M (2008). "Dosing and efficacy of glutamine supplementation in human exercise and sport training." Journal of Nutrition. Search PubMed
Garlick PJ (2001). "Assessment of the safety of glutamine and other amino acids." Journal of Nutrition. Search PubMed
Ziegler TR et al. (2000). "Safety and metabolic effects of L-glutamine administration in humans." JPEN Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Search PubMed