There are so many health supplements out there that really can help us to achieve our own personal idea of peak health. Whether you’re looking for nutritional supplements that can help you reach peak focus or mental capacity, or are searching for anti-aging and longevity nutrition, this is one that might pique your interest.

Glycine is one that I had only heard of peripherally through my other curiosities. Sometimes when you read a lot about the latest news in nutrition and natural health that happens. You’re reading about one thing, and it leads you down paths to a number of other interesting topics and new findings! That’s what makes keeping up on this kind of stuff so important if you’re into natural health and wellness. Plus, it’s fun!

What Is Glycine?

Glycine is actually a type of amino acid. Related: Lysine, an Important Amino Acid 

Fortunately, unlike many other important components of good health, glycine can actually be made by your body. A lot of other pivotal compounds cannot be made by the body, and must be somehow consumed – or a precursor to their creation must be ingested somehow. Not glycine.

Your body produces this amino acid by breaking down other amino acids, however it doesn’t produce a whole lot of it. If you want to get more therapeutic amounts of this amino acid in your diet, you would need to either increase the amino acids that are precursory to its production, or you need to take it in raw supplement form.

Collagen Production

Glycine is critical for collagen production. Estimates are high for the amount of glycine that comprises collagen in the body. Anywhere from 20% to 30% of collagen is comprised of glycine. Some estimates are even higher. Related: Vitamin C Ester Anti Aging Benefits

Collagen gets a lot of attention because of its critical role in healthy skin, however it is also critical for cushioning the joints and keeping your body nice and flexible into older age. When collagen is depleted, or turns rigid due to high sugar consumption, it really makes a difference in how your joints feel and how your skin looks. In other words, collagen is a potent anti-aging weapon!

Natural Food Sources of Glycine

Fish is an important source of glycine, but one of the more surprising sources is something most people tend to avoid if they are looking to cut fat out of their diet. The skin of poultry actually contains a high amount of glycine. However, you have to eat a few ounces to get the real benefit, so you can decide if that fat tradeoff would be worth it. But who doesn’t love a nice browned, crunchy baked chicken!?

If you’re looking for good vegan sources of glycine, then you can try spinach leaves, seaweed and various types of legumes. If none of these sound like great options for you palette, then you can look into purchasing a good glycine supplement. They are fairly reasonable price-wise. And you may want to also read on for the other important health implications of this amino acid. Although some are speculative, they warrant further review!

Mental Health and Depression

Glycine is being looked at for its potential ability to help lessen anxiety and depression, and contributing to overall stress management. It is thought that glycine might be important for these common mental health complaints in part because it helps a lot of people get a deeper, more restful night of sleep.

Most mental health professionals agree that if you can get full, deep nights of rest, the rest of your mental health tends to fall in place beautifully. Studies done thus far have demonstrated at least some sort of ties between glycine supplementation and improved duration and severity of insomnia.

Other studies have shown an impact on serotonin levels, which is the hormone associated with improved mental health, pleasure and an overall sense of well-being. So it makes sense that this compound is being looked at for potential applications in sleep and mood improvement. Related: Mood Benefits of Sun Exposure