"Glycine may help contribute to the synthesis of nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA and RNA, underscoring its importance at the molecular level."
Glycine
Amino acid vital for antioxidant production, brain health, and quality sleep
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"I was recommended glycine to help recover from a tennis injury. I kept up my supplementation well past getting over it quickly, because I feel less inflamed on a day-to-day basis and my joints feel much more fluid."
"I started taking glycine for depression, anxiety, and PMS symptoms in my smoothie every morning, and now my mood is much more positive and stable all month long. I feel like a fog has been lifted! I'm sleeping better too, which certainly helps for waking up on the bright side of the bed."
"I had problems falling and staying asleep until I started taking this. I do 1-2 grams a day divided morning and night along with NAC, and now I get deep, restful sleep with no nightmares and no grogginess!"
"I was recommended glycine to help recover from a tennis injury. I kept up my supplementation well past getting over it quickly, because I feel less inflamed on a day-to-day basis and my joints feel much more fluid."
"I started taking glycine for depression, anxiety, and PMS symptoms in my smoothie every morning, and now my mood is much more positive and stable all month long. I feel like a fog has been lifted! I'm sleeping better too, which certainly helps for waking up on the bright side of the bed."
"I had problems falling and staying asleep until I started taking this. I do 1-2 grams a day divided morning and night along with NAC, and now I get deep, restful sleep with no nightmares and no grogginess!"
Glycine is the most abundant amino acid in the human body!
It is a non-essential amino acid, meaning the body can produce small amounts of it. However, almost everyone needs more than the scant amount the body makes, and therefore most people would benefit by consuming more of it!
Glycine is widespread in human enzymes and proteins. Its simple, stable, small, and flexible structure is vital for the formation of collagen and various tissues.
The name comes from a Greek word for "sweet", indicative of its mildly sweet flavor. This powder is very easy and tasty to add to a variety of drinks or food to harness a vast array of health benefits!
Brain Function & Neurological Support
Glycine acts as a neurotransmitter and modulates neuronal activity; its main activity is related to the inhibition of different brain regions. It is involved in transmitting chemical signals in the brain, so it likely comes as no surprise that it is beneficial for improved cognition, memory, focus, mood, and even severe disorders like stroke and schizophrenia!
Gut Health
Glycine is vital for muscle protein synthesis, growth, and repair. It is a primary building block of collagen, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of the intestinal lining and preventing leaky gut syndrome. Research shows that glycine supplementation enhances intestinal mucosal integrity, reduces inflammation, and supports the repair of damaged gut tissue. It helps regulate the body's inflammatory response, which is crucial for healing conditions like colitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is also important for helping bile acids digest fats.
Glutathione Production
Glycine is a key building block for glutathione, one of the body's most important antioxidants. Low glycine levels lead to increased oxidative stress, especially in vegetarians, vegans, and the elderly. Higher glycine levels lead to increased glutathione production, in turn providing significant benefits for antioxidant defense, metabolic health, and longevity. Adequate glycine supports detoxification, reduces inflammation, improves insulin sensitivity, and may protect against metabolic dysfunction and aging-related decline.
Better Sleep
Glycine promotes faster sleep onset, increased deep and REM sleep, and decreased core body temperature which helps both initiate and maintain sleep. Research shows supplementing with at least 3 g of glycine 30-60 minutes before bedtime can alleviate insomnia and decrease sleep disturbances, including nightmares. Glycine affects the area of the brain that regulates the circadian rhythm. Better sleep quality naturally leads to better alertness, more focus, reduced daytime drowsiness and fatigue, and improved mental health.
Collagen Production
Glycine is the most prevalent amino acid in collagen, the body's most abundant protein. Collagen is estimated to be up to 30% glycine. This amino acid's molecules are the exact size and shape that contribute to collagen's structural integrity, which provides strength and elasticity to skin, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and connective tissues. Collagen is vital for joint health and tissue repair, and therefore supplementation with glycine can alleviate conditions like arthritis and bursitis.
Compliments NAC
Glycine is so well respected for complimenting the superpowers of NAC that they are called GlyNAC when taken together! They are both key components for producing glutathione, one of the body's most (if not the most) important antioxidants. Taking these supplements together leads to tandem heightened abilities to alleviate oxidative stress, improve mitochondrial dysfunction and therefore metabolism, decrease inflammation, reduce insulin resistance, support brain health, enhance detoxification, and reduce markers of aging.
Health Benefits of Glycine:
- Improves sleep quality
- Heart protection
- Collagen production
- Reduced risk of diabetes
- May be effective for schizophrenia
- Lowered risk of stroke
- Improved mood
- Enhanced memory
- Boosts mental performance
- Supports liver damage, especially alcohol-induced
- Improves muscle mass
- Antioxidant
- Regulates synthesis of bile acid used to digest fats
- Prevents tissue injury
- Heals lining of digestive tract
- Essential for skeletal muscles, tissues, and structural integrity
- Used to construct DNA & RNA, therefore vital for gene expression
- Supports enlarged prostate
- May improve insulin resistance
- Lowers inflammation
- converts glucose into energy
- Lowers symptoms of ulcers
- Improves leaky gut syndrome
- Anti-arthritis
- Alleviates fatigue, stress, and anxiety
- Produces red blood cells
- Boosts immune function
- Balances metabolic disorders
- Associated with the control of motor functions
- Supports liver detox
- May provide neuroprotective properties
- Enhances brain health
- Essential for glutathione production
- Supports healthy skin, nails, hair, and other connective tissues
- Anti-cancer properties
- Supports digestive health
- Used effectively in hemorrhagic and endotoxic shock therapy
- Glycine therapy is used to prevent organ transplant failure
- Supports nervous system balance
- May alleviate PMS symptoms
- Beneficial for bone health
- Promotes wound healing
Health Benefits of Glycine:
- Improves sleep quality
- Heart protection
- Collagen production
- Reduced risk of diabetes
- May be effective for schizophrenia
- Lowered risk of stroke
- Improved mood
- Enhanced memory
- Boosts mental performance
- Supports liver damage, especially alcohol-induced
- Improves muscle mass
- Antioxidant
- Regulates synthesis of bile acid used to digest fats
- Prevents tissue injury
- Heals lining of digestive tract
- Essential for skeletal muscles, tissues, and structural integrity
- Used to construct DNA & RNA, therefore vital for gene expression
- Supports enlarged prostate
- May improve insulin resistance
- Lowers inflammation
- converts glucose into energy
- Lowers symptoms of ulcers
- Improves leaky gut syndrome
- Anti-arthritis
- Alleviates fatigue, stress, and anxiety
- Produces red blood cells
- Boosts immune function
- Balances metabolic disorders
- Associated with the control of motor functions
- Supports liver detox
- May provide neuroprotective properties
- Enhances brain health
- Essential for glutathione production
- Supports healthy skin, nails, hair, and other connective tissues
- Anti-cancer properties
- Supports digestive health
- Used effectively in hemorrhagic and endotoxic shock therapy
- Glycine therapy is used to prevent organ transplant failure
- Supports nervous system balance
- May alleviate PMS symptoms
- Beneficial for bone health
- Promotes wound healing
We intentionally offer Glycine in powder form for several reasons:
- Pills and capsules may contain toxic binder ingredients, while our Glycine powder is pure Glycine - no poisonous additives!
- With our pure Glycine powder, you do not pay extra for fillers that provide no benefit nor extra packaging, making it far more cost effective than other options.
- Less packaging means less waste for our planet!
- Our Glycine powder is absorbed quickly by the body without wasting energy in breaking down capsule or pill constituents, rendering it more bioavailable.
- Our Glycine powder has a naturally slightly sweet taste, making it an easy addition to water, juice, smoothies, tea, coffee, yogurt, or even oatmeal!
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Dosage Info
Our glycine powder is naturally slightly sweet, and can easily be stirred into water, juice, smoothies, coffee, tea, kombucha, protein shakes, or even yogurt, puddings, oatmeal, salad dressing, or soup for consumption.
Those who are ill, recovering from injury or surgery, and/or those under a lot of stress can benefit from taking extra glycine for recovery.
Daily Requirement
General maintenance is recommended 3-5 grams per day. This is the equivalent of 3000 - 5000 mg; also equal to approximately 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon per day.
Those with higher metabolic and/or antioxidant needs, vegans, and the elderly may benefit from 10-12 grams per day taken as divided doses.
Sleep Support
Take 3-5 grams about an hour before bed for improved sleep quality.
Gut Health
5-10 grams per day taken as divided doses between morning and night.
Side Effects
Glycine powder has been shown to be safe at dosages up to 90 grams per day for several weeks with no serious side effects. You may choose to start at a lower dose (1-2 grams per day) to assess your own individual tolerance for it, as it might cause mild side effects like nausea, upset stomach, or diarrhea.
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REFERENCES
- Razak MA, Begum PS, Viswanath B, Rajagopal S. Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:1716701. doi: 10.1155/2017/1716701. Epub 2017 Mar 1. Erratum in: Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2022 Feb 23;2022:9857645. doi: 10.1155/2022/9857645. PMID: 28337245; PMCID: PMC5350494.
- Meléndez-Hevia, E., de Paz-Lugo, P., Cornish-Bowden, A. et al. A weak link in metabolism: the metabolic capacity for glycine biosynthesis does not satisfy the need for collagen synthesis. J Biosci 34, 853–872 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-009-0100-
- Baños G, Daniel PM, Moorhouse SR, Pratt OE. The requirements of the brain for some amino acids. J Physiol. 1975 Apr;246(3):539-48. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp010903. PMID: 1133786; PMCID: PMC1309434.
- Ruiz-Ramírez A, Ortiz-Balderas E, Cardozo-Saldaña G, Diaz-Diaz E, El-Hafidi M. Glycine restores glutathione and protects against oxidative stress in vascular tissue from sucrose-fed rats. Clin Sci (Lond). 2014 Jan 1;126(1):19-29. doi: 10.1042/CS20130164. PMID: 23742196.
- Wang W, Wu Z, Dai Z, Yang Y, Wang J, Wu G. Glycine metabolism in animals and humans: implications for nutrition and health. Amino Acids. 2013 Sep;45(3):463-77. doi: 10.1007/s00726-013-1493-1. Epub 2013 Apr 25. PMID: 23615880.
- Amin K, Li J, Chao WR, Dewhirst MW, Haroon ZA. Dietary glycine inhibits angiogenesis during wound healing and tumor growth. Cancer Biol Ther. 2003 Mar-Apr;2(2):173-8. doi: 10.4161/cbt.2.2.280. PMID: 12750558.
- Adeva-Andany M, Souto-Adeva G, Ameneiros-Rodríguez E, Fernández-Fernández C, Donapetry-García C, Domínguez-Montero A. Insulin resistance and glycine metabolism in humans. Amino Acids. 2018 Jan;50(1):11-27. doi: 10.1007/s00726-017-2508-0. Epub 2017 Nov 1. PMID: 29094215.
- Aguayo-Cerón KA, Sánchez-Muñoz F, Gutierrez-Rojas RA, Acevedo-Villavicencio LN, Flores-Zarate AV, Huang F, Giacoman-Martinez A, Villafaña S, Romero-Nava R. Glycine: The Smallest Anti-Inflammatory Micronutrient. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jul 8;24(14):11236. doi: 10.3390/ijms241411236. PMID: 37510995; PMCID: PMC10379184.
- Eulenburg V.S. Glycine transporters: Essential regulators of synaptic transmission. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011;21:S230. doi: 10.1016/S0924-977X(11)70352-2.
- Ramos-Jiménez A, Hernández-Torres RP, Hernández-Ontiveros DA, Ortiz-Ortiz M, López-Fregoso RJ, Martínez-Sanz JM, Rodríguez-Uribe G, Hernández-Lepe MA. An Update of the Promise of Glycine Supplementation for Enhancing Physical Performance and Recovery. Sports (Basel). 2024 Sep 25;12(10):265. doi: 10.3390/sports12100265. PMID: 39453231; PMCID: PMC11510825.
- Tan HC, Hsu JW, Tai ES, Chacko S, Wu V, Lee CF, Kovalik JP, Jahoor F. De Novo Glycine Synthesis Is Reduced in Adults With Morbid Obesity and Increases Following Bariatric Surgery. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Jun 9;13:900343. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.900343. PMID: 35757406; PMCID: PMC9219591.
- McCarty MF, O'Keefe JH, DiNicolantonio JJ. Dietary Glycine Is Rate-Limiting for Glutathione Synthesis and May Have Broad Potential for Health Protection. Ochsner J. 2018 Spring;18(1):81-87. PMID: 29559876; PMCID: PMC5855430.
- Bannai M, Kawai N. New therapeutic strategy for amino acid medicine: glycine improves the quality of sleep. J Pharmacol Sci. 2012;118(2):145-8. doi: 10.1254/jphs.11r04fm. Epub 2012 Jan 27. PMID: 22293292.
- Bannai M, Kawai N, Ono K, Nakahara K, Murakami N. The effects of glycine on subjective daytime performance in partially sleep-restricted healthy volunteers. Front Neurol. 2012 Apr 18;3:61. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2012.00061. PMID: 22529837; PMCID: PMC3328957.
- Karnani MM, Venner A, Jensen LT, Fugger L, Burdakov D. Direct and indirect control of orexin/hypocretin neurons by glycine receptors. J Physiol. 2011 Feb 1;589(Pt 3):639-51. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.198457. Epub 2010 Dec 6. PMID: 21135047; PMCID: PMC3055548.
- Bannai M, Kawai N, Nagao K, Nakano S, Matsuzawa D, Shimizu E. Oral administration of glycine increases extracellular serotonin but not dopamine in the prefrontal cortex of rats. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2011 Mar;65(2):142-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2010.02181.x. PMID: 21414089.
- Kumar P, Liu C, Suliburk J, Hsu JW, Muthupillai R, Jahoor F, Minard CG, Taffet GE, Sekhar RV. Supplementing Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in Older Adults Improves Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Inflammation, Physical Function, and Aging Hallmarks: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023 Jan 26;78(1):75-89. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glac135. PMID: 35975308; PMCID: PMC9879756.
- Sekhar RV. GlyNAC (Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine) Supplementation Improves Impaired Mitochondrial Fuel Oxidation and Lowers Insulin Resistance in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Results of a Pilot Study. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Jan 13;11(1):154. doi: 10.3390/antiox11010154. PMID: 35052658; PMCID: PMC8773349.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj2v0mXUPf4
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