Research
Mixed
Arginine supplementation can worsen clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, or multiple organ failure due to excessive nitric oxide production.
If you are in the ICU with sepsis or organ failure, do not self-prescribe arginine supplements. Your medical team manages your nutrition carefully because high doses can potentially worsen inflammation and cell damage in these specific critical states.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
Under these conditions, arginine supplementation could 'fuel the fire' to worsen clinical outcomes.
Why this rating
Cites clinical studies showing unclear or negative benefits in sepsis.
Source
Amino acids and immune function
Peng Li et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2007
DOI 10.1017/s000711450769936x
narrative_reviewCited 1,567×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Glutamine serves as a major energy substrate for immune cells and is required for lymphocyte proliferation and glutathione synthesis.Strong
- Dietary supplementation with arginine, glutamine, and cysteine precursors enhances immune function and reduces morbidity/mortality in subjects with malnutrition or infectious disease.Good
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