NATURAL HOME CURES · NOPAL SCIENCE
Valine
& Nopal
An essential amino acid used in proteins and energy metabolism, and one of the three BCAAs.
Explore the scienceOne of the three BCAAs.
Valine is one of the building blocks your body uses to make proteins. These proteins help build and maintain muscle, skin and other tissues.(1)
Valine is one of the nine essential amino acids. Your body cannot make it, so it needs to come from food.(1)
What Does Valine Do?
BUILDING MATERIAL AND A POSSIBLE FUEL
Proteins and energy metabolism
Valine becomes part of proteins. Its breakdown can also supply molecules used for energy.
The body joins valine with other amino acids to make proteins. Some of these proteins provide structure; others carry out jobs such as helping chemical reactions take place or transporting substances.(4)
Valine can also be broken down through a series of enzyme-controlled steps. This produces molecules the body can use for energy.(2)
These roles are part of everyday metabolism. Building and maintaining tissues requires many amino acids and other nutrients working together.
Valine and the BCAA Family
THE THREE BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO ACIDS
A family named for its shape
Valine belongs to a group called the branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs. The other two members are leucine and isoleucine.(3)
The name refers to the branched shape of part of their chemical structure. All three are essential amino acids supplied by food.
BCAAs are used in proteins and broken down in tissues throughout the body, including skeletal muscle. Their metabolism involves several shared enzymes, while each follows its own later steps.(3)
Where Does Valine Come From?
Valine occurs naturally in many familiar foods, including:
Meat and poultry
Fish
Eggs
Milk and dairy products
Beans, lentils and soy foods
Nuts and seeds
Whole grains
Leafy vegetables
Nopal cactus pads
The amount varies with the food and serving size. A varied diet provides valine alongside other amino acids and nutrients.(4)
How Much Valine Is in Nopal?
USDA FoodData Central · “Nopales, raw”
The USDA entry lists 0.059 grams of valine per 100 grams of raw nopales, equal to 59 milligrams. This provides context for the amount in fresh cactus pads.(5)
This is a general raw-food reference, rather than a measurement of our finished capsules or powder.
Nopal also contains fiber, minerals and many other naturally occurring plant compounds. Its composition varies with the species, growing conditions, maturity and processing.
From Our Farms to Your Bottle
Our Nopal capsule story begins on our mountain farms in Mexico, where Opuntia streptacantha grows at about 8,200 feet in rich volcanic soil. Sunlight, temperature, and rainfall shape the living cactus.
We stay involved from growing through harvest and preparation of the capsules. This growing environment is part of the story behind each amino acid discussed here.
Looking at the Whole Cactus
Valine is one part of Nopal’s wider nutritional picture. Explore the other science articles to learn about the cactus’s fiber, vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds.
FROM CACTUS TO PRODUCT
Meet Our Nopal Cactus & Prickly Pear Family
Nopal cactus capsules, prickly pear drops, and Nopal cactus powder.
Explore Nopal Cactus →The research behind this articleSource References
- 01Source referenceAmino acids.View source
Full citation
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Amino acids. - 02Source referenceBCKDHA gene: Normal Function.View source
Full citation
MedlinePlus Genetics. U.S. National Library of Medicine. BCKDHA gene: Normal Function. - 03Source referenceBranched Chain Amino Acids.View source
Full citation
Neinast M, Murashige D, Arany Z. Annual Review of Physiology. 2019;81:139–164. doi:10.1146/annurev-physiol-020518-114455. Branched Chain Amino Acids. - 04Source referenceProtein in diet.View source
Full citation
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Protein in diet. - 05Source referenceNopales, raw.View source
Full citation
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. FDC ID 168571; SR Legacy, NDB 11963. Valine: 0.059 g per 100 g of raw edible food, equivalent to 59 mg. Nopales, raw.