Glycine—a single compound present in meals—is taking TikTok by storm.
The compound has been on the rise for some time, however not too long ago went viral on social media because of an infomercial focused in direction of “glycine girlies,” a distinct segment group of younger girls obsessive about the up-and-coming complement. Nevertheless it’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 likely 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 may solely be obtained from dietary sources,” Basbaum explains.
That stated, the quantity of glycine your physique produces typically isn’t sufficient to fulfill your every 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 major perform is to assist promote the expansion and well being of cells within the physique,” Basbaum explains. Nevertheless, 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? Effectively, there’s no official Dietary Reference Consumption for it (or any of the non-essential amino acids, for that matter). Nevertheless, some research recommend an consumption of 1.5 to three grams per day. Basbaum says the typical grownup presently consumes about 2 grams per day.
How one can incorporate glycine into your weight loss program
If you wish to up your glycine consumption, Basbaum recommends prioritizing protein in your weight loss program. “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’ll be able to monitor your protein consumption via the MyFitnessPal app to get a good suggestion of your present consumption stage.
And as for these stylish 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 usually get all of the vitamins your physique wants via a balanced weight loss program, however it’s typically a safer guess as dietary dietary supplements should not regulated as rigorously by the FDA,” she cautions.
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