Glycine—a single compound present in meals—is taking TikTok by storm.
The compound has been on the rise for some time, however just lately went viral on social media because of an infomercial focused in the direction of “glycine girlies,” a distinct segment group of younger girls obsessive about the up-and-coming complement. However it’s sparked a dialog, with loads of folks questioning what precisely it’s—and whether or not or not it’s value taking.
To assist reply these questions, we spoke with one in all our registered dietitians Katherine Basbaum to dig into the science.
What’s glycine?
Glycine is without doubt one of the amino acids, that are the constructing blocks of protein in your physique. “It’s thought-about a non-essential amino acid for the reason that physique can produce glycine, versus important amino acids, which might solely be obtained from dietary sources,” Basbaum explains.
That stated, the quantity of glycine your physique produces usually isn’t sufficient to satisfy your day by day wants. Whereas you should buy glycine dietary supplements, the amino acid can be naturally present in protein-rich meals like meat, poultry, fish and legumes.
The potential advantages
“Glycine’s essential perform is to assist promote the expansion and well being of cells within the physique,” Basbaum explains. Nonetheless, analysis has proven there could also be further advantages to consuming the amino acid, which embody:
How a lot glycine do you want for these advantages? Nicely, there’s no official Dietary Reference Consumption for it (or any of the non-essential amino acids, for that matter). Nonetheless, some research recommend an consumption of 1.5 to three grams per day. Basbaum says the typical grownup at the moment consumes about 2 grams per day.
The best way to incorporate glycine into your food regimen
If you wish to up your glycine consumption, Basbaum recommends prioritizing protein in your food regimen. “A great way to make sure sufficient amino acid consumption is thru dietary protein comparable to meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, soy merchandise, beans and legumes,” she says. You may monitor your protein consumption via the MyFitnessPal app to get a good suggestion of your present consumption degree.
And as for these stylish glycine dietary supplements you would possibly see throughout TikTok, Basbaum advises towards them for now. As a substitute, keep on with actual meals. “Not solely are you able to usually get all of the vitamins your physique wants via a balanced food regimen, however it’s usually a safer wager as dietary dietary supplements will not be regulated as rigorously by the FDA,” she cautions.
