Japan was the first country in the world to make a medical infusion containing high-quality amino acids. This was done in 1956, and was designed to address nutritional deficiencies before and after surgery.

Development of Amino Acid-Based Medical Infusions

Researchers developed amino acid-based infusions after first developing infusions with proteins. The initial attempts using protein infusions failed because when proteins were injected into the blood the body rejected them. This did not happen when researchers switched to amino acids. This showed that infusions needed to contain the amino acids that make up proteins and not the actual proteins.

Mass Production of High-Quality Amino Acids Helps Spread Amino Acid Infusions

High-calorie infusions are widely used in medicine today. These infusions contain the five major nutritional elements needed to sustain life: proteins, sugars, fats, vitamins and minerals. Since the body rejects proteins the infusions contain a mixture of amino acids instead of proteins.
Advances in amino acid production, especially fermentation, have made it possible to mass produce high-quality amino acids. This has lowered the cost of production and helped spread the use of amino acid infusions.

High quality amino acid solutions improve patient nutrition before and after of surgeries.They are widely used today for this reason.

Persons suffering from liver dysfunction have low levels of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) valine, leucine and isoleucine in their blood.
Not having enough of these amino acids can often cause encephalopathy (a condition that can lead to a coma). That's why researchers have developed BCAA formulas that are specifically designed to supplement a lack of amino acids and prevent encephalopathy. These formulas have been effective in treating liver dysfunction.

When food proteins are eaten the amino acids are metabolized and eventually become urea, a waste product. If a person has chronic kidney disease their kidneys cannot filter as well. This causes urea and other waste products to collect in the blood. If the condition continues to worsen they often need artificial dialysis and cannot eat as much protein as they need.
However, eating a low-protein diet for an extended period of time can reduce the level of essential amino acids in the blood, causing a further decline in nutrition. By supplementing with the right amount of needed amino acids it is possible to maintain the patient's nutrition level and prevent the loss of kidney functions. These formulas consist mainly of essential amino acids that are important to maintaining body functions.