The American journal of clinical nutrition
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L-Arginine is an important precursor of nitric oxide (NO) and protein synthesis. Arginine is produced in the body (mainly kidney) by de novo production from citrulline and by protein breakdown. Arginine availability appears to be limited in sepsis. ⋯ Citrulline production is severely low in patients with sepsis and is related to diminished de novo arginine and NO production. These metabolic alterations contribute to reduced citrulline and arginine availability, and these findings warrant further studies of therapeutic nutritional interventions to restore arginine metabolism in sepsis.
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The glycemic index (GI) characterizes foods by using the incremental area under the glycemic response curve relative to a similar amount of oral glucose. Its ability to differentiate between curves of different shapes, the peak response, and other aspects of the glycemic response is debatable. ⋯ The GI provides a good summary of postprandial glycemia. It predicts the peak (or near peak) response, the maximum glucose fluctuation, and other attributes of the response curve.