What it does in the body
- Intestinal mucin glycoprotein synthesis (gut barrier)
- Collagen and elastin synthesis
- Immune function (antibody production — IgG, IgA)
- Lipotropic function (prevents fatty liver)
- Glycoprotein and cell signaling molecule synthesis
How much you need (Daily Value)
| Group | Recommended | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Adult male | 15mg/kg/day (~1.05g for 70kg) | WHO/FAO/UNU |
| Adult female | 15mg/kg/day (~0.9g for 60kg) | WHO/FAO/UNU |
| Pregnancy | 19mg/kg/day | WHO |
| Children | 17-31mg/kg/day depending on age | WHO |
| Older adults | 15mg/kg/day; higher in gut disease | WHO |
Richest food sources
| Food | Amount | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Beef (lean, cooked) | 1.2g per 100g | global |
| Chicken breast (cooked) | 1.1g per 100g | global |
| Cottage cheese | 0.6g per 100g | europe |
| Lentils (cooked) | 0.3g per 100g | south-asia |
| Salmon (cooked) | 1.0g per 100g | global |
| Eggs (whole) | 0.6g per 100g | global |
| Tofu (firm) | 0.5g per 100g | east-asia |
| Watercress | 0.1g per 100g | global |
If you don't get enough
Mild: Mild digestive discomfort, reduced mucus production, minor immune impairment
Moderate: Compromised gut barrier, increased susceptibility to infections, fatty liver development, poor wound healing
Severe: Severe gut barrier breakdown, malabsorption, hepatic steatosis, neurological irritability, edema
Time to onset: Gut mucin changes within 1-2 weeks; systemic effects within 4-8 weeks
Too much
Upper limit: No established UL; doses up to 4g/day appear safe in studies
Very high doses may cause nausea, headache, and GI distress. Minimal toxicity risk compared to other amino acids
How well you absorb it
85-95% from animal proteins; 70-85% from plant sources. Note: 40-60% undergoes first-pass gut metabolism
Helped by: Vitamin B6 (cofactor for threonine dehydratase), Adequate glycine availability, Normal gut health
Hindered by: Gut inflammation (paradoxically increases need while potentially reducing absorption), Antinutrients in raw legumes
Cooking & storage
Moderately heat-stable. Standard cooking methods preserve threonine well. Prolonged boiling can leach threonine into cooking water — using broth-based cooking retains it.
Nutrisize Health totals every nutrient from what you actually eat, against targets set for your age and sex, and flags what's short — across 4,995 foods, on your device.
