Glycine—a single compound present in meals—is taking TikTok by storm.
The compound has been on the rise for some time, however lately went viral on social media due to an infomercial focused in 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 individuals 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 among 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 may solely be obtained from dietary sources,” Basbaum explains.
That stated, the quantity of glycine your physique produces usually isn’t sufficient to satisfy your each day wants. Whereas you should buy glycine dietary supplements, the amino acid can also be naturally present in protein-rich meals like meat, poultry, fish and legumes.
The potential advantages
“Glycine’s principal 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 embody:
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 common grownup presently consumes about 2 grams per day.
Methods to incorporate glycine into your weight loss plan
If you wish to up your glycine consumption, Basbaum recommends prioritizing protein in your weight loss plan. “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 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 in opposition to them for now. As an alternative, follow actual meals. “Not solely are you able to sometimes get all of the vitamins your physique wants via a balanced weight loss plan, however it’s usually a safer guess as dietary dietary supplements usually are not regulated as rigorously by the FDA,” she cautions.
