Amino acids typically go hand in hand in with the topic of DNA. Amino acids are not only useful for maintaining our genetic information, but they also contain nutritional value. The red meat we consume from swine and other types of poultry are examples of organisms we eat and utilize as an energy source. Being aware of how food is prepared from the farm to the supermarket could promote better choices in which consumers turn to.

Some varieties of “simple stomached” animals, such as pigs are commonly fed cheaper kinds of food. For example, corn and soy-meal based nutrition are usually provided for them. These types of food are considered cost-effective to the industry. Some of the food may lack certain amino acids, such as methionine or lysine. Depending upon the specific amino acid that is added or taken away from the food, could affect the digestive tract of the animal. Alterations such as the reduction of protein feeding by the animal, or even the reduction of nitrogen in waste are a couple of examples that indicate only a slight change in one of the amino acids. Cows have a different type of digestion process compared to swine, and are put on diets that do not contain certain amino acids; this can result in changes such as having a reduction of lactation or a decrease in manure production. These characteristics must be taken into consideration when performing tests, in order to get the optimal amount of profit for following a fixed diet for the livestock.

Some experiments have been performed on cattle and show how other poultry are affected by very specific amino acids. Overtime with a fixed diet of specific amino acid requirements, the absorption sites can vary from the quantity of the amino acid present, or just the quality of the performance they can provide for the animal. One experiment indicated that there were first-limiting amino acids that do have an overall affect on bodily functions, such as urinary nitrogen excretion and nitrogen retention. In the overall experiment, there were noted correlations between plasma amino acid levels and the increase of the overall nitrogen retention.

Another experiment mentions correlations between one amino acid to the digestive system of a cattle’s body. For example, the amount of arginine and several other amino acids positively impacted the duodenal flow. It is advantageous to identify an effective diet for livestock because having a better understanding of what these limiting amino acids can do could help in a variety of ways. Some of these benefits include greater sized cows, better quality and quantity milk production, as well as a reduction in feed costs. This research could help us identify which methods do and do not benefit the nutrition obtained from livestock we consume.

Understanding the specific diet of cattle or other livestock we consume is important because whatever is fed to them will inevitably go into our bodies. The food eaten will help nourish and build necessary microscopic structures to provide us with the energy we need to survive. Health conscious people must take into consideration the sources from where their food is purchased. In a perfect world, the food industry wants to have successful sales, while the consumers in turn trust and get the nourishing food they need in return. Some research that has already been done can reveal if food producers are there to actually help consumers, or simply to achieve maximum profit at the sake of the health of others.