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The daily valine requirement of healthy adult Indians determined by the 24-h indicator amino acid balance approach^1,2,3,4

¹ From the Division of Nutrition (AVK, TDSR, and VNR) and the Core Biochemistry Laboratory (JVG), Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research, St John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India, and the Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (MMR and VRY)

Background: The 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU requirement for valine was set at 10 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1 on the basis of nitrogen balance studies carried out in Western subjects. It is likely that the requirement is higher, however, because the requirement of another branched-chain amino acid, leucine, was found to be about 3 times as high (40 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1) as the 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU value (14 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1).

Objective: We assessed the valine requirement in healthy, well-nourished Indians by using 7 test valine intakes (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1) and the 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation (24-h IAAO) and balance (24-h IAAB) method, with phenylalanine as the indicator amino acid, while maintaining leucine intake at 40 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1.

Design: Eighteen healthy, well-nourished Indian men were studied during each of 3 randomly assigned 7-d diet periods supplying valine intakes that were equally placed on either side of a putative mean valine requirement of 20 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1. Twenty-four–hour IAAO and 24-h IAAB were measured on day 7 by use of a 24-h [¹³C]phenylalanine tracer infusion. The breakpoint in the relation between these values and the valine intake was determined.

Results: Two-phase linear regression of daily phenylalanine oxidation or balance against valine intake estimated a breakpoint in the response curve at a valine intake of 17 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1 (95% Fieller's CI: 11, > 35 and 11, 28 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1, respectively).

Conclusion: From the 24-h IAAO/IAAB approach, a mean valine requirement of 17 mg · kg^–1 · d^–1 is proposed for healthy, well-nourished Indian adults.

Key Words: Well-nourished Indian adults • valine requirement • branched-chain amino acids • BCAA requirement • 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation • 24-h indicator amino acid balance

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. V Kurpad, M. M Regan, T. D. Raj, V. N Rao, J. Gnanou, and V. R Young The daily phenylalanine requirement of healthy Indian adults Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, June 1, 2006; 83(6): 1331 - 1336. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. V. Kurpad, M. M. Regan, T. Raj, and J. V. Gnanou Branched-Chain Amino Acid Requirements in Healthy Adult Human Subjects J. Nutr., January 1, 2006; 136(1): 256S - 263S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]