ID 650 - Arginina

PL: Arginina
EN: Arginin
Pdf: L-arginine

Oświadczenie (2)

1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika

The food constituent that is the subject of the health claims is L-arginine.
Arginine is an alpha-amino acid present in foods from animal and vegetable origin. The L-form is the most commonly found form in nature and in food supplements. L-arginine is also known as (S)-2- amino-5-guanidinopentanoic acid and (S)-2-amino-5-[(aminoiminomethyl)amino] pentanoic acid. The terms L-arginine and arginine are frequently used interchangeably. The content of L-arginine in foods can be measured by established methods.
Arginine is a conditionally indispensable amino acid provided by mixed dietary protein intakes from different sources. Arginine can also be consumed in the form of food supplements as L-arginine.
The Panel considers that the food constituent, L-arginine, which is the subject of the health claims, is sufficiently characterised.

2.9. Udział w prawidłowej spermatogenezie (tworzeniu plemników) (ID 650, 4682)

The claimed effects are “spermatogenesis” and “supporting spermatogenesis and local pelvic microcirculation”. The Panel assumes that the target population is the general male population.
In the context of the proposed wordings and the references provided, the Panel assumes that the claimed effects refer to normal spermatogenesis.
The Panel considers that contribution to normal spermatogenesis is a beneficial physiological effect.

3.6. Udział w prawidłowej spermatogenezie (tworzeniu plemników) (ID 650, 4682)

The references provided for the scientific substantiation of the claim included general reviews, a web page, a monograph, human intervention studies, animal studies and in vitro experiments on foods/food constituents other than L-arginine, and/or effects other than spermatogenesis (i.e. erectile function). The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from these studies for the scientific substantiation of the claim.
One human intervention study (De Aloysio et al., 1982) investigated the effect of arginine aspartate (providing arginine and aspartic acid) in subjects with asthenospermia or oligoasthenospermia. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from a study using a fixed combination for the substantiation of a claim on arginine alone.
In a randomised human intervention study by Aydin et al. (1995), 45 subjects with various degrees of oligospermia and asthenospermia were treated with L-arginine (2x5 g/day, n=15), the anti-inflammatory agent indomethacin (75 mg/day, n=15) or the enzyme kallikrein (100 Ku/day, n=15) for three months to encompass a complete cycle of spermatogenesis. The Panel notes the absence of an appropriate control group in this study, and considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this reference for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
In the study described by Scibona et al. (1994) L-arginine-HCL (80 mL of 10 % L-arginine-HCL administered for 6 months daily) was administered to 40 asthenospermic subjects to assess its effects on sperm motility. The Panel notes the absence of a control group in this study, and considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this uncontrolled study for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
In an in vitro study the effects on sperm motility of adding L-arginine to sperm cell suspensions from idiopathic or diabetic asthenozoospermic subjects was assessed (Morales et al., 2003). The Panel considers that evidence provided in in vitro studies is not sufficient to predict the occurrence of an effect of arginine consumption on normal spermatogenesis in humans.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of L-arginine and contribution to normal spermatogenesis.

Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia

500 mg for 3 month