Currently there are a lot of options for amino acid supplements, they are available in various multivitamins, food supplements, portein supplements, and as pure amino acid formulas. Like any other substance they come in tablets, liquids, capsules, and powders. Amino acid supplements are derived from animal protein, yeast protein, and/or vegetable protein. Crystalline free-form amino acids come from grain products, mainly brown rice although cold pressed yeast and milk proteins are sometimes used.
Free form Amino acids means that they are in their purest form. These amino acids require no digestion are absorbed directly into your bloodstream. Powders and pills filled with powder are your best bet.

Finding the right Supplement

It can be tricky to find the right amino acid supplements, most are filled with more slogans than acids. When looking through supplements always look for supplements that contain USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia) pharmaceutical grade L-crystalline amino acids. Most amino acids (minus glycine) appears in two forms, with identical chemical structures. Those forms are D- and L- (ex: L-Arginine D-Arginine). D stands for dextro and the L stands for levo, both latin words for right and left respectively. These terms are used to note the direction that the spiral of the chemical structure rotates. Animal and plant tissues are made up of the L- amino acid forms (excluding phenylaline, which can appear in the form of DL-phenylaline as a mixture of the L- and D- forms). For this reason L- amino acids are considered to be more compatible with the human body.

Amino Acid Supplement Facts to Remember:

*Moderation is the key to good health, High dosing of amino acids can have potentially toxic effects (over 6,000 mg/day) or cause neurological damage. The amino acids that can be toxic if the daily intake is too high are aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, tryptophan, homocysteine. Cysteine approaches toxic levels if over 1,000 mg are taken everyday.
*Do not give amino acid supplements to a child.
*When you take an amino acid complex composed of all the essential amino acids, it’s ideal to take it half an hour before or after a meal.
*If you are taking two amino acid complexes take them both at different times to ensure the absorption of the necessary amino acids.