“Arginine?”Here!L-arginine
Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.
In personal care
A naturally occurring amino acid, one of the building blocks of proteins. In cosmetics it's usually made by fermentation rather than extracted from food sources.
Why it’s used
Used to adjust pH, help bind water to the skin's surface, and in some formulas to condition hair or skin. It also shows up in antiperspirant and deodorant formulas because of its mild buffering effect.
What the evidence says
We haven’t found a source for this one that you can open and check, so we’re not summarizing the evidence.
Look it up yourself
We would rather point you at the shelf than summarize something you can’t check. These are the same places we search:
- PubChem — what the substance is, chemically — names, synonyms and structure
- PubMed — every paper indexed by the US National Library of Medicine that names it
These are starting points, not our findings — we haven’t run them for you. A substance whose name is also an ordinary word (“Heart”, “Alanine”, “Water”) will return papers that are not about the ingredient at all.
No claims graded here yet.
As a supplement
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.
A semi-essential amino acid the body uses to make nitric oxide, a molecule involved in relaxing blood vessels. It occurs in protein-rich foods and is also sold as an isolated supplement.
Why it’s used
Taken to support blood flow, exercise performance, or cardiovascular measures such as blood pressure.
What the evidence says
Some clinical trials report modest reductions in blood pressure or improvements in blood-flow-related measures with supplemental arginine, but results across studies are inconsistent, and benefits for athletic performance in healthy people are not well supported by controlled trials. There is no NIH ODS fact sheet specific to arginine; findings summarized by other health databases describe the evidence as mixed.
Dose studied
3–9 g — daily doses used in trials examining blood pressure and blood flow measures.
Context
Trials examining cardiovascular measures have used daily doses commonly in the range of a few grams up to around 9 grams, taken over weeks, with effect sizes varying by population studied (e.g., people with existing blood pressure issues versus healthy adults).
Rumors
L-arginine triggers herpes outbreaks.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- healthtap.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
L-arginine supplements are dangerous for people with heart disease and can be deadly after a heart attack.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Harvard Health Publishing — a university or research body: consumer health information division of Harvard Medical School
How we know who this is
- “Harvard Health Publishing (HHP) is the consumer health information division of Harvard Medical School (HMS), the graduate medical school of Harvard University .” (their page)
- Harvard Health Publishing — a university or research body: consumer health information division of Harvard Medical School
L-arginine supplements boost athletic performance.
Does not support — establishedhealth and safety evidence
Measured as an outcome.
- Is isolated arginine supplementation an effective ergogenic aid for athletes and physically active individuals? A systematic review of randomized clinical trials (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not clearly stated · No conflicts declared
- Effectiveness of acute L-arginine supplementation on physical performance in strength training: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not clearly stated · No conflicts declared
Who’s saying this
- Healthline — a publisher: health information publisher; part of RVO Health, backed by Red Ventures and UnitedHealth Group's Optum
How we know who this is
- “Healthline is a digital publisher and does not offer personal health or medical advice.” (their page)
- “Healthline is part of RVO Health, a company backed by Red Ventures and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum.” (their page)
L-arginine supplements improve erectile dysfunction.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Ro — a brand: online prescription treatments incl. GLP-1 weight loss drugs
How we know who this is
- “Ro's world-leading experts and advisors enable us to deliver high-quality healthcare.” (their page)
- Ro — a brand: online prescription treatments incl. GLP-1 weight loss drugs
L-arginine supplements lower blood pressure.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Vitafoods Insights — a publisher: nutraceutical industry news; part of Informa PLC's Informa Markets Division
How we know who this is
- “Vitafoods Insights provides news and in-depth analysis about the latest nutraceutical innovations, R&D breakthroughs, scientific research, regulatory developments, and sustainable sourcing strategies, ensuring food supplement and nutrition professionals are one step ahead.” (their page)
- “Vitafoods Insights is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC” (their page)
- Vitafoods Insights — a publisher: nutraceutical industry news; part of Informa PLC's Informa Markets Division