What Is Proline & What Foods Can I Find It In?

Proline is a non-essential amino acid.

Proline is biosynthetically derived from the amino acid L-glutamate.

Non-essential means that can be made by humans in the body when needed.

Proline is essential for the synthesis of proteins.

Proline; Amino And Imino Acid

Proline is a cyclic, non-essential amino acid. It’s synthesized from glutamic acid and other amino acids. Proline is a constituent of many proteins. (source ◳)

Proline is called an imino acid because it contains a secondary amino group (imine) instead of a primary amino group. (source ◳)

Proline Has Unique Pathways

Proline is, along with hydroxyproline, the only amino acid without the primary amino group.

It leads to that proline has a unique metabolic pathway in the mitochondria. (source ◳)

Proline and hydroxyproline are a group of amino acids that are considered to be building blocks of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in bones and cartilage.

It is known that the level of proline in the ECM correlates with the rate of bone growth.

Why Do We Need Proline?

Proline is an amino acid that is essential for the synthesis of proteins.

It is an essential component of collagen, which is an important structural protein in your body. (source ◳)

This protein is found in connective tissue and your skin, making it a critical building block for your body. It’s responsible for conferring strength and support to your skin.

Collagen is the most abundant protein found in humans.

It also plays an integral role in the aging process. (source ◳)

You can find more benefits of proline in Proline: 6 Research-Backed Benefits .

Foods You Can Find Proline In

You find proline mostly in sweets, snacks, legumes, dairy and egg products.

Examples of food sources include

• Gelatins
• Pork Skins
• Soy Protein Isolate
• Parmesan Cheese
• Gruyere
• Bearded Seal

Foods in our nutrition tool

You can find regularly updated top-ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

If you are interested in what foods contain the most proline, we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top-ranked list of foods that contain proline.

Sara Niemelä

co-founder Care Omnia, Head Content Creator

Nutrition is my passion. I've spent thousands upon thousands of hours reading, analyzing, categorizing and comparing research studies.

I’m a wife and a mother of three. I enjoy the outdoors, cooking, and spending time with my family.