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. But it surely’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 considered one of 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 of a non-essential amino acid because the physique can produce glycine, versus important amino acids, which may solely be obtained from dietary sources,” Basbaum explains.
That mentioned, 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 foremost 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 extra advantages to consuming the amino acid, which embrace:
How a lot glycine do you want for these advantages? Properly, there’s no official Dietary Reference Consumption for it (or any of the non-essential amino acids, for that matter). Nonetheless, some research counsel an consumption of 1.5 to three grams per day. Basbaum says the typical grownup at present consumes about 2 grams per day.
incorporate glycine into your eating regimen
If you wish to up your glycine consumption, Basbaum recommends prioritizing protein in your eating regimen. “A great way to make sure ample amino acid consumption is thru dietary protein resembling meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, soy merchandise, beans and legumes,” she says. You’ll be able to monitor your protein consumption by the MyFitnessPal app to get a good suggestion of your present consumption stage.
And as for these fashionable glycine dietary supplements you may see throughout TikTok, Basbaum advises in opposition to them for now. As a substitute, keep on with actual meals. “Not solely are you able to sometimes get all of the vitamins your physique wants by a balanced eating regimen, however it’s usually a safer wager as dietary dietary supplements aren’t regulated as rigorously by the FDA,” she cautions.
