The 8 amino acids
Amino Acids in Sugar Defender: What the 8 Lines at the Bottom of the Label Add Up To
The amino acids in Sugar Defender are eight lines near the end of the 200 mg blend, from L-glutamine to L-carnitine. No amounts are printed. By label order, each holds about 9 to 14 mg per mL at most, while studies used grams. None was tested in the drops.
Written by the Sugar Defender label deskUpdated
On the label01
Which amino acids are in Sugar Defender?
Sugar Defender lists eight amino acids, all in the bottom third of its 22-ingredient proprietary blend.
In label order: L-glutamine (14th), L-tyrosine (15th), L-arginine base (16th), beta-alanine (17th), GABA (19th), L-ornithine HCl (20th), L-tryptophan (21st) and L-carnitine base (22nd). Place 18 is a licorice compound, covered with the other blend herbs.
No source says why they are there. None is among the eight ingredients the sales page praises.
Where they sit
- Lines 1 to 13: plant extracts and raspberry ketones
- Lines 14 to 17 and 19 to 22: the eight amino acids
- Line 18: the licorice compound
The math02
How much of each amino acid is in one 1 mL serving?
The label does not say. A blend only has to show its total weight and list its parts from most to least (21 CFR 101.36 (eCFR)), so the order sets a ceiling: place k holds at most 200 divided by k mg.
That caps L-glutamine at about 14 mg per mL and L-carnitine at about 9 mg. Also, the last nine lines cannot pass nine even shares, so lines 14 to 22 together hold about 82 mg at most.
Research03
What does research say about L-glutamine, L-arginine and beta-alanine?
Their research is about exercise, not blood sugar, and it used grams. Results were weak or mixed (NIH ODS, Exercise & Athletic Performance).
L-glutamine
A trial at almost 45 g a day found no performance effect (NIH ODS, Exercise & Athletic Performance).
L-arginine
Studied at 2 to 20 g a day. It can drop blood pressure and may add to blood pressure medicines (MSKCC, Arginine).
Beta-alanine
Studied at 1.6 to 6.4 g a day; 800 mg or more at once can cause harmless tingling (NIH ODS, Exercise & Athletic Performance).
For L-tyrosine and L-ornithine we found no source worth citing.
Caution04
Is the L-tryptophan in Sugar Defender a concern?
The amount is tiny, but L-tryptophan carries a real warning: it can add to drugs that raise serotonin.
Drugs.com advises medical advice before pairing it with MAO inhibitors, tramadol, dextromethorphan, meperidine, sedatives, 5-HTP or St. John's wort, and rates it likely unsafe in pregnancy (Drugs.com, L-tryptophan). In 1989, contaminated L-tryptophan from one maker was tied to an outbreak that affected more than 1,500 people (NORD, Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome).
Show the label to your pharmacist first. Keep taking prescribed medicine; never stop or change it because of a supplement.
Sugar Defender: from $49 a bottle60 mL · 2, 3 or 6 bottles · free US shipping on 3 or 6 · 60-day money-back guarantee
See packsGlucose data05
Do L-carnitine and GABA in Sugar Defender matter at this dose?
Probably not. Carnitine studies in type 2 diabetes used about 2 to 3 g a day, while the last label line holds about 9 mg at most.
Those studies saw some fasting-glucose gains; NIH wants larger trials (NIH ODS, Carnitine). A USP review found no serious side effects from GABA up to 120 mg a day for 12 weeks, with caution alongside blood pressure medicine (Oketch-Rabah et al., Nutrients 2021 (USP GABA review)).
Profiles06
What does each amino acid line show?
Each table shows one line as printed, its ceiling per mL and the research we found. The full panel is on supplement facts.
| Name on the label | L-Glutamine |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 14 of 22 in the 200 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #14 of 22 in the 200 mg blend, so at most 14 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | About 15-45 g a day (sports studies) |
| Strength of evidence | Not supported for performance |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Generally well tolerated in studied doses. |
| Name on the label | L-Tyrosine |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 15 of 22 in the 200 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #15 of 22 in the 200 mg blend, so at most 13 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | No verified dose source |
| Strength of evidence | Not established |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | No verified safety source found; ask your doctor if you take thyroid or MAOI drugs. |
| Name on the label | L-Arginine Base |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 16 of 22 in the 200 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #16 of 22 in the 200 mg blend, so at most 12 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | 2-20 g a day (sports studies) |
| Strength of evidence | Little or no performance benefit |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Can lower blood pressure. |
| Name on the label | Beta-Alanine |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 17 of 22 in the 200 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #17 of 22 in the 200 mg blend, so at most 12 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | 1.6-6.4 g a day |
| Strength of evidence | Mixed (exercise only) |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Harmless tingling at 800 mg or more, unlikely here. |
| Name on the label | GABA (Gamma aminobutyric acid) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 19 of 22 in the 200 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #19 of 22 in the 200 mg blend, so at most 11 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | No verified dose source |
| Strength of evidence | Not established |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | No verified safety source found. |
| Name on the label | L-Ornithine HCl (printed 'L-Omithine') |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 20 of 22 in the 200 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #20 of 22 in the 200 mg blend, so at most 10 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | No verified dose source |
| Strength of evidence | Not established |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | No verified safety source found. |
| Name on the label | L-Tryptophan |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 21 of 22 in the 200 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #21 of 22 in the 200 mg blend, so at most 10 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | No blood sugar dose established |
| Strength of evidence | Not established |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Do not combine with MAOIs or other serotonin drugs without advice. |
| Name on the label | L-Carnitine Base |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid derivative |
| Place on the label | 22 of 22 in the 200 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #22 of 22 in the 200 mg blend, so at most 9 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | 2-3 g a day (type 2 diabetes studies) |
| Strength of evidence | Some glucose improvement; more trials needed |
| Marketed or traditional use | Fat metabolism |
| Main caution | Fishy odor and stomach upset at about 3 g. |
More ingredients07
Which Sugar Defender ingredients come before the amino acids?
Thirteen lines come first, led by maca. See the full ingredient list.
FAQ08
Questions about the amino acids in Sugar Defender
Can I take Sugar Defender if I am on an SSRI or another antidepressant?
Ask your prescriber first. The drops list L-tryptophan, which should not be paired with serotonin-raising drugs without medical advice (Drugs.com, L-tryptophan). The label also asks anyone on other medication to consult a physician.
How many amino acids does Sugar Defender contain?
Eight: L-glutamine, L-tyrosine, L-arginine base, beta-alanine, GABA, L-ornithine HCl, L-tryptophan and L-carnitine base. They fill places 14 to 22 of the blend, with a licorice compound at 18.
Is the L-tryptophan in Sugar Defender tied to the 1989 recall?
No link is known. That outbreak traced almost entirely to one maker (NORD, Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome). Sugar Defender's label names no manufacturer, and no lab report is published.
Could the beta-alanine in Sugar Defender make my skin tingle?
Very unlikely. Tingling appears with single doses of 800 mg or more (NIH ODS, Exercise & Athletic Performance), and one 1 mL serving can hold about 12 mg at most.
Does the L-arginine in Sugar Defender affect blood pressure?
Unlikely at about 12 mg per mL at most, but arginine can drop blood pressure and may add to blood pressure medicines (MSKCC, Arginine).
Is there enough L-carnitine in Sugar Defender to help glucose?
No. Type 2 diabetes studies used about 2 to 3 g a day (NIH ODS, Carnitine); the last blend line holds about 9 mg per mL at most.
Who wrote this09
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Isugardefender, a Sugar Defender U.S. shop, not by the manufacturer or the distributor. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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