Cysteine Deficiency
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Cysteine is a non-essential amino acid, so the body can make enough of its own, but deficiency can occur and the following are the only people who may experience it:
- People on low protein diets
People who are on low protein diets may become deficient not just in cysteine but all of the amino acids (and especially the essential amino acids) if their protein intake is not sufficient. - Strict vegans and vegetarians
Some really strict vegans and vegetarians may become deficient not just in cysteine but all of the amino acids (and especially the essential amino acids) if they are not combining their foods correctly to get the correct balance of protein and amino acids. - People with HIV / AIDS
Various studies have found that people with HIV / AIDS have lower blood serum levels of cysteine than healthy people without this disease, which could mean that a deficiency of cysteine may either contribute to, or result from, immune suppression associated with HIV.
Cysteine is a non-essential amino acid, so the body can make enough of its own, but deficiency can occur
Cysteine Deficiency Symptoms
Symptoms of moderate cysteine deficiency include:
- Lowered levels of certain proteins in the blood
- Slowed growth (in children)
Symptoms of severe cysteine deficiency include:
- Apathy
- Damage to the liver
- Fluid retention
- Lethargy and weakness
- Skin lesions
- Wasting of muscle and loss of fat
- Whitening of the hair
People with any of these symptoms should seek advice from their medical practitioner to determine if cysteine supplementation is required.