About this video

• Video Title: GLYCINE: The Cheapest Anti-Aging Supplement That Actually Works
• Channel: Leonid Kim MD
• Speakers: Leonid Kim MD
• Duration: 00:10:31

Overview

This video explains the importance of glycine, a small molecule crucial for sleep, recovery, and cellular defense through glutathione synthesis. It details how glycine impacts sleep quality, metabolic health, and inflammation, and discusses the benefits of combining glycine with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as GlyNAC. The video also covers recommended dosages and potential side effects of glycine and GlyNAC.

Key takeaways

• Glycine's Multifaceted Role: Glycine is the smallest amino acid and is vital for numerous bodily functions, including protein building, collagen formation, liver support, neurotransmitter regulation, and crucially, glutathione synthesis.
• Glutathione and Cellular Defense: Glutathione is a master antioxidant that protects cells from damage caused by oxidative stress and toxins. Glycine, along with glutamate and cysteine, are building blocks for glutathione, with glycine and cysteine often being rate-limiting factors in its production.
• Sleep Enhancement: Glycine supplementation before bed can improve sleep quality, reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and enhance next-day alertness. It works by affecting the suprachiasmatic nucleus (the body's internal clock) and quieting wake-up neurons.
• Metabolic and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits: Glycine may play a role in improving components of metabolic syndrome, such as insulin resistance, obesity, and high blood pressure. Its levels are often lower in individuals with these conditions, suggesting it can be conditionally essential.
• Glycine vs. GlyNAC: While glycine alone can support glutathione synthesis, cysteine (provided by NAC) is also necessary. For individuals with metabolic issues or inflammation, combining glycine with NAC (GlyNAC) may be more effective for boosting glutathione production.
• Dosage and Safety: A commonly studied dose for glycine is 3 grams before sleep. Higher doses have been explored in specific conditions, but caution is advised due to potential side effects and limited long-term safety data. For GlyNAC, studies suggest doses around 100 mg/kg of each component per day, often starting lower.

Combining glycine with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) may be more beneficial than taking glycine alone if you have metabolic issues such as insulin resistance (including diabetes, pre-diabetes, PCOS), fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, or chronic inflammation, including autoimmune conditions. These conditions can deplete the body's cysteine levels, making it a rate-limiting factor in glutathione synthesis, even if glycine is abundant. Therefore, adding NAC to glycine ensures sufficient cysteine is available to maximize glutathione production.