Top 10 foods high in glutamine

Generally, an average diet contains 5 to 10 grams of glutamine per day. In healthy people, this is enough to meet the needs of our bodies.¹⁵ One study found that the average glutamine intake was 6.84g per day.¹⁶ However, if there’s significant stress placed on the body, our metabolic demand for glutamine can be higher than our muscles can produce. In extreme cases, muscle wasting can occur as a result of this stress.  

Another time that glutamine is required in higher amounts is following high intensity physical exercise. This counts as a temporarily increased metabolic need, and if the activity has been exhausting enough (for example a marathon or endurance event training), glutamine stores may become depleted.¹⁸

Fish and crustaceans are some of the best sources of glutamine around. Wild fish naturally contain a high level of glutamine in their bodies, and farmed fish are sometimes given glutamine in their feed to increase their levels.¹⁹

Saltwater fish have more glutamine than freshwater fish. Sardines, mackerel, crab, lobster, shrimps and prawns are all good sources. 50g of mackerel contains just under 2000mg of glutamine, that’s around 1.9g.²⁰

One of the healthiest foods out there, red cabbage contains vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and vitamin B6.²¹ It also boasts the highest levels of glutamine out of any vegetable.²² This is why red cabbage is used traditionally an anti-inflammatory gut-healing remedy.²³ 

Finely shred red cabbage into salads and into slaws, as the benefits are greater if it’s eaten raw. You can try adding it to smoothies, too, and it’s surprisingly hard to detect any cabbage flavour when paired with orange juice, ginger and a little honey. 100g red cabbage contains around 300mg, or 0.3g of glutamine.²⁴

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in milk protein, so eating dairy products made from milk will help to ensure you never run short of this amino acid.²⁵ Casein and whey, both milk proteins found in cow’s milk, were found to have the highest levels of glutamic acid of all animal milk.²⁶ If you don’t like dairy, you could try a protein supplement which is made from casein or whey as these will be naturally high in glutamine.

An ideal food for exercise or injury recovery, eggs provide a good dose of glutamine as well as protein, selenium, vitamin K, vitamin D and B vitamins. 1 large egg contains 0.8g of glutamine so just 2 eggs each day will provide you with around a quarter of your daily glutamine needs.²⁷

Nuts and seeds are another key food for exercise or recovery as they offer energy and protein as well as glutamine for tissue repair and recovery. A handful of almonds, cashews, walnuts or pistachios along with a piece of fruit are perfect fuel before exercise.

Stock up on bags of pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and linseeds which are ideal for adding to smoothies and sprinkling over oats. A large 50g handful of cashew nuts contains around 2.2g glutamine,²⁸ so eating nuts every day will boost your levels whilst offering vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. Just don’t eat too many – as well as being nutrient dense, nuts are calorie-dense too.

The glutamine in soybean meal is almost 19% ²⁹, so you should add this legume – which is available in dried form in some supermarkets and all health food shops – to your diet if you’re looking to get more glutamine. If you aren’t sure what to do with soya – don’t worry! Many vegetarian and vegan products are made from soya beans, including tofu, tempeh and soya milk. Soya beans are also available in roasted form, ideal for snacking.

Dark, leafy green vegetables including spinach, kale and parsley pack in a surprisingly high amount of glutamine. Parsley contains 1.8g glutamine per 50g.³⁰ You might think it’d be difficult to get a good amount of glutamine from parsley as you only use a sprig or two at a time.

In that case, try the Middle Eastern salad tabbouleh, which contains around 100g parsley and along with its other star ingredient – bulghur wheat – makes it a great healthy choice to boost glutamine levels. Try including a spinach, and kale to a side salad with dinner – or you could add them together in a smoothie with your favourite fruit to balance out the bitter taste.

Great as a source of (incomplete) protein, fibre and iron, red kidney beans also contain around 0.6g glutamine per 100g.³¹ In fact, most pulses contain glutamine, including chickpeas, lentils, butter beans, pinto beans and many more. These are good choices for vegetarians and vegans who can’t get glutamine from the more rich animal sources.

Seaweeds and algae proteins are good sources of amino acids, with glutamine no exception. 50g dried spirulina contains around 4000mg of glutamine – or 4g.³² Try adding spirulina to a smoothie along with your favourite fruit. The smoothie will turn a vivid green, and the fruit will mask the slightly earthy flavour of the spirulina.

Meat is one of the most rich in glutamine foods. Roast chicken, for instance, contains around 5.5g of glutamine per 128g portion.³³

Older adults may choose to supplement with glutamine to protect the muscles and gut, as the body’s natural production of this amino acid gradually reduces over the years.³⁴

Bear in mind that if you’re eating a high-energy, high-protein diet, you’re likely to consuming a higher than average level of glutamine due to the abundance of foods which contain glutamine (see above).³⁵

• With glutamine powder, stir a heaped teaspoon (4.5g) into a cup of water or your favourite drink once or twice daily. We recommend you take one dose an hour before working out. Glutamine powder has a neutral taste but can have a bitter or salty edge, so we recommend mixing it into a smoothie or flavoured protein shake. 

 It is important that you do not exceed the recommended amount and that you also get enough water during the day – at least six glasses.