Interested in taking your health, performance, and sleep to the next level?
One tiny amino acid—with not so tiny effects, may be able to assist you with it.
This tiny but awesome amino acid is called Glycine.
Glycine is one of many amino acids that are used to produce proteins. It is the smallest of all amino acids and is incredibly important for the synthesis of other amino acids such as glutathione, creatine, heme, RNA/DNA, and it can help with the absorption of calcium in the body. It's essential for maintaining the structure of tissues, joints and blood vessels. It also promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails.
While technically called “non-essential, amino acid” the amounts of glycine we synthesize plus dietary glycine we consume may fall short of the amount we need for optimal metabolic function.
Although, glycine deficiency is not life threatening, studies show that low levels of glycine can compromise synthesis of important enzymes and proteins which could have detrimental effects on health.
The effects of glycine, while understudied, are of interest to those wishing to enhance cognitive performance. Glycine plays an important role in central nervous system neurotransmission which means brain signaling, so boosting glycine levels may actually lead to lower levels of negative mental states, improve cognition, positive mood, and possibly be useful for memory loss.
There is a relatively good evidence that glycine could play a role in stroke prevention and recovery.
According to the research, people who have higher levels of glycine have better cardiovascular protection. Higher glycine level and lower cardiovascular risk are due glycine's anti-inflammatory and lipid metabolization benefits.
Glycine protects against narrowing of the arteries and reduces platelets aggregation - a mechanism involved in heart attacks and cardiovascular disease risk.
Glycine may also benefit our metabolic health and help people with diabetes. Higher serum levels of glycine are associated with a lower amount of insulin resistance, better insulin sensitivity and less abdominal fat - a risk factor related to metabolic disorders.
Free fatty acids in the blood are not a good thing. Glycine can help by reducing glycated hemoglobin, which leads to poor glucose management in people with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, glycine stimulates glucagon, which helps insulin remove glucose from the body.
Better glucose regulation has profound health benefits for everyone, not just diabetics. An ability to better regulate blood sugar levels throughout the day can benefit our mental and physical performance. Avoid the sugar crash!
The liver is the body’s built-in detoxification system. Its job is to rid the body of toxins by breaking them down, conjugating them to bile, or sending them to the kidneys for excretion.
The body’s strongest, most versatile detoxifying substance is glutathione, and we can’t make glutathione without glycine. Most glutathione biosynthesis occur in the liver, but the body’s stores are easily drained. Benzoates which are a food and soft drink additives - can bind glycine, depleting our body’s valuable glycine stores.
Glycine can be particularly useful to those who indulge in alcohol more than the recommended amount - the amino acid reduces the accumulation of bad cholesterol, free fatty acids, and triglycerides in the blood, liver, and brain. Glycine can also slow the damage caused by liver injuries or disease.
Glycine makes up about 1/3 of the amino acids in elastin and collagen, the most abundant protein in the human body. As we get older, collagen production naturally declines, and with the loss of collagen comes the loosening of the skin, wrinkles, increased cellulite, joint pain, and difficulty gaining muscle and burning fat. Supplementing with glycine makes more substrate available to combat the natural loss of collagen.
Glycine plays a vital role in Glutathione formation which in turn helps to maintain redox balance in the body to reduce the risk of damage from excess oxidative stress and associated inflammation.
Lowering inflammation and oxidative stress has numerous benefits including everything from disease prevention to improved mental health and physical performance.
Without glycine, the body cannot create creatine. Bodybuilders use creatine supplementation to gain both muscle strength and mass.
Studies have shown that a high dose of glycine intake can cause a rapid surge in growth hormone release from the pituitary gland - up to 60% - in under five minutes.
A rapid growth hormone boost post-workout can help stimulate protein synthesis, build muscle, and promote faster recovery.
Glycine contributes to the inhibition of muscular deterioration while boosting muscle recovery. Glycine also helps provide cells with energy ramping up production of ATP for working muscle tissues, boosting endurance, strength, and performance. It also has a beneficial effect on hormone production and regulation, contributing to the natural synthesis of steroid hormones that control how energy is allocated for use and regulate the ratio of fat to muscle mass.
Aging and the loss of collagen are some of the causes of joint pain, but glycine may help to address these issues as well as a few others. Glycine is both a prominent structural component of healthy cartilage and connective tissue and a powerful anti-inflammatory.
Glycine deficiency limits our ability to make collagen and connective tissue for bones, skin, hair, and nails.
Glycine supplementation is associated with a reduction of symptoms such as inflammation, pain, and swelling in some people with arthritis.
Glycine doesn't forget about our mind while strengthening the rest of our body. Studies show that glycine can significantly reduce symptoms associated with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that may help to quell an over-stimulated brain state and reduce stress and manic-like brain activity.
We all need sleep. It is our basic human need. Unfortunately, too many of us experience sleep problems. Laying there restless, counting sheep, watching the hostile glow of the green numbers, fearing the absence of sleep – this dreaded scenario of sleep-deprived desperation is all too familiar. Needless to say, sleep issues have become a pervasive health problem, and research shows that lack of sleep affects everything from mental competence to increased risk of chronic diseases and cancer.
Glycine can help. Glycine induces vasodilation throughout the body to promote lowering of core body temperature . Sleep and body temperature are intertwined - body temperature decreases before the onset of sleep and continues to decrease throughout the night, reaching its nadir about 2 hours after sleep onset, and gradually rising as a person wakes. Temperature is just one of many 24-hour rhythms our bodies experience throughout the day and as nighttime approaches – the drop is important for initiating sleep.
Dream on!!!
Rejuvii offers L-Glycine as intramuscular (IM) injections and as a part of several drips including Stress Relief .
Give us a call for a consultation about the benefits of L-Glycine therapy.
Learn more about us here, and book an appointment +1-224-272-3747
