Glycine

Methylated B vitamins and TMG lower homocysteine, a cardiovascular risk marker

Elevated homocysteine raises cardiovascular risk. Methylated B12, folate, and TMG lower it through liver detox pathways.

"And so if one's got an elevated homocysteine, an elevated, by some labs it's going to be greater than 7, by most labs greater than 9, means you're at an increased risk. What that is, I don't remember, but you're at an increased risk of having a cardiovascular event, which would mean a heart attack or stroke. And so we want to lower that number. And the best way to lower that number is taking ample methylated B vitamins. Methylated means you're adding a methyl group. So methyl B12, methylfolate, trimethylglycine, methionine, these are all methylation donors, which just metabolically and through your detoxification pathways in your liver is going to help you lower that homocysteine."

Glycine at 3,000-5,000 mg calms the nervous system and supports liver detox before bed

Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that calms the nervous system at high doses. It also supports phase two liver detoxification.

"It's calming to the nervous system over the years. I tend to start with that when people are having trouble settling down at night. Not that it's going to sedate people, but just transitioning from being active, 8 p.m., 9 p.m., wanting to settle down. Glycine in pretty large dosages, at least most people think they're starting with 3,000 or 5,000 milligrams orally, kind of tones down the nervous system. People relax a little bit, and then they tend to sleep better from it. And then you can dial it up. I mean, I've used very large dosages. The other advantage of glycine is it works on phase two liver detoxification, which is amino acid conjugation. So you're helping your liver work better. And in a world where we're being exposed with all these toxic things from glyphosate to heavy metals, we all need to do some sort of liver mitigation strategies. Glycine is one of the best."

Glycine calms the startle reflex via spinal cord

GABA inhibits the startle reflex in the brainstem while glycine inhibits the motor response in the spinal cord, reducing exaggerated reactions.

"GABA inhibits it in the brain stem, glycine inhibits it in the spinal cord. Glycine inhibits the coordination of the motor response."

Glycine improves sleep without grogginess

The Mind Pump hosts discuss glycine as an underrated sleep supplement, citing a 2017 study showing improved sleep latency and reduced daytime fatigue. Unlike most sleep aids, glycine doesn't cause grogginess.

"Glycine on an empty stomach before bed the data is showing has really really beneficial effects for sleep which is really really cool. There was a 2017 study that found that glycine improved sleep latency and reduced daytime fatigue."

Practical glycine dosing for sleep

Sal recommends 3 grams of glycine in capsule form on an empty stomach about 30 minutes before bed. The hosts discuss stacking it with magnesium for enhanced sleep quality.

"Yeah, 3,000 milligrams."

Glycine is cheap and pairs well with magnesium

The hosts note glycine is very inexpensive and discuss combining it with their existing magnesium supplement routine for better sleep.

"I think I take like three or four capsules. See, this is perfect. I could take that."

Glycine as a precursor to glutathione

Glycine is a crucial building block for glutathione, the body's most powerful antioxidant used in liver detoxification and system-wide free radical protection. Taking glycine helps the body produce more glutathione naturally, which is more effective than glutathione supplements.

"The better way to get glutathione levels up in your body is not to take glutathione supplements. It's to consume things that help your body make more of its own glutathione."

Glycine as a natural sweetener and blood sugar stabilizer

Glycine has a naturally sweet taste, can replace sugar in coffee or tea, doesn't affect blood sugar levels, and provides health benefits as a component of collagen protein.

"It has many health benefits in the body, but it's also got a sweet taste. So you can actually use it as a sweetener. So it's an amino acid. So those are the building blocks for protein, right?"

Glycine improves sleep without daytime drowsiness

Glycine works as a neurotransmitter similar to GABA, activating sleep cycles at night while maintaining alertness during the day. Studies confirm people sleep better when taking glycine before bed.

"At night, it helps to kind of activate your sleep cycle at night. So it works sort of like as a neurotransmitter in the brain the same way as another neurotransmitter that is very involved in sleep, which is called GABA."

Anti-inflammatory and muscle recovery benefits

Glycine regulates inflammation, reduces arthritis symptoms, prevents muscle deterioration, boosts muscle recovery after workouts, and plays a role in ATP energy production for athletic performance.

"Studies have shown that supplementation with glycine is associated with a reduction of symptoms such as inflammation and swelling and arthritis. So it could work for that. It also helps with, you know, preventing the deterioration of muscle and also boosting muscle recovery after workouts."

Glycine counters BCAA-driven insulin resistance in metabolically broken people

Brad Marshall explains his emergence diet based on collagen and gelatin (broth). In some people, metabolism shifts to a torpor-like state where branched-chain amino acids cannot be properly broken down, contributing to insulin resistance. Glycine appears to counter-regulate this effect. BCAAs themselves are fine and even thermogenic in people who can metabolize them efficiently, but for those in a metabolically dysfunctional state, glycine from collagen-rich foods helps restore balance.

"they seem to be counter-regulated with glycine. And glycine can actually help you to get out of that."

Inflammation is a glycine deficiency problem

Dr. Joel Brind argues that inflammation in response to injury is not natural but a sign of glycine deficiency. He compares immune first responders to police who start shooting at an accident scene when glycine is missing.

"What I've discovered is that the reason everybody experiences that inflammation in response to injury, just as I always did, was a deficiency in this simple amino acid called glycine."