Ornithine is an amino acid that is made in the body. It's not used to create protein, but plays a role in other processes. It can also be made in a lab.
Ornithine might help to increase levels of another amino acid called arginine. It might also increase levels of hormones that increase muscle size.
People use ornithine for athletic performance, dry skin, insomnia, wound healing, and other purposes, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.
Don't confuse ornithine with ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate (OKG) or L-Ornithine-L-Aspartate. These are not the same.
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