Creatine Vegetarian 101

Creatine vegetarian levels can cause of a bit of a buzz in the world of non meat eaters, but the majority have no idea what creatine is, what it does for a body, whether it can be safely ignored and where to find creatine vegetarian supplies if it cannot.

What Is Creatine?

A nitrogenous organic acid naturally manufactured in vertebrates (you, me and anything else with a spine) in the liver and kidneys and to a lesser extent, the pancreas, creatine supplies energy to every single cell in the body via the bloodstream. It is the product of a chemical reaction between the amino acids glycine, arginine and methionine. It is mostly found in muscle, where it was first discovered by Michel-Eugene Chevreul as long ago as 1832. It is behind the creation of Adenosine Triphosphate, or ATP, also known as ‘the energy of life’. Since ATP is vital, creatine is too. However, because it takes it’s name from ‘krea’, the Greek word for meat, it stands to reason that creatine vegetarian reserves may show something of a shortfall.

What Are The Benefits Of Creatine?

Although it is primarily found in muscle, which can work harder and longer due to it’s presence (hence the popular use of creatine supplements by performance athletes), creatine is also found in other organs which use a high volume of energy, notably the brain and testes. A study of creatine and it’s effect on brain function found that after a daily supplement of 5mg of creatine over a period of six weeks, subjects substantially improved their memory and cognitive skills.

Are Creatine Vegetarian Concerns Valid?

We all have an innate ability to synthesise creatine from the basic materials in our bodies, and approximately fifty per cent of our needs are met in this way. The rest must come from our diets, and with meat, fish and game being the major sources of creatine, vegetarian bodies are clearly at risk of deficiency. Vegetables are not a significant source of creatine, and so it’s unsurprising that studies which involved both vegetarian and non vegetarian parctipants found that creatine levels were markedly lower in vegetarians.

Where Can I Buy Creatine?

To buy Creatine, UK residents can probably get the best choice and price via Amazon, where there are a variety of creatine vegetarian friendly products available. These include the deservedly popular PHD Nutritional Creatine Powder, as well as CNP Pro Creatine E2 and Maximuscle Creatamax Extreme.

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