June 24, 2021 4 min read
Glycine, AKA the anti-aging amino acid, has a very important role to play in the body. Glycine is a building block for proteins that make up our connective tissues, regulate our hormones, and produce necessary enzymes. It's also a necessary component of creatine and glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. It is technically considered a non-essential amino acid because it is produced within our bodies. Glycine can be synthesized from choline, serine, hydroxyproline, and threonine or consumed directly via dietary supplements.
With that said, many consider it "semi-essential" because it's often difficult to get enoughglycine without dietary supplementation. According to WebMd, a typical diet contains about 2 grams of glycine daily from food sources alone. Yet studieshave observed taking high doses of glycine, upwards of 90 grams per day over several weeks, can be done without any serious side effects.
Glycine also acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, specifically in the spinal cord, brain stem, and retina. Inhibitory neurotransmission prevents involuntary muscle movements and spasms and is responsible for motor control and pain perception in adults. When glycine receptors are activated, chloride enters the neuron and causes an inhibitory postsynaptic potential, or prevents an action potential. Glycine is a co-agonist, meaning it works alongside glutamate for NMDA receptors, which are responsible for memory and learning.
As we age, our natural glycine synthesis begins to slow. This decline is thought to coincide with decreased collagen production, oxidative stress, cognitive decline, and gastrointestinal issues.
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Glycine is a building block for proteins that make up our connective tissues, regulate our hormones, and produce necessary enzymes.
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Glycine also acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, specifically in the spinal cord, brain stem, and retina.
By consuming more glycine, our bodies may be able to produce more collagen and vice versa to reduce gut permeability.
A highly bioavailable supplement such as marine collagen can be easily absorbed by the body and can help to restore the gut lining.
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