Glycine increases sleep and sleep quality alongside other health benefits. If you wish to take a substance that boosts sleep quality with no negative effects, like sleeping pills, then Glycine will be the perfect substitute.
In our current society, getting enough sleep has become a rare gem. The world today has major commitments prompting us to have extended hours without sleep. This phenomenon contributes to anxiety, insomnia, and other health-related issues.
Naturally, the body produces Glycine, which presents itself as an amino acid that helps produce collagen. Collagen works in our bodies to build bones, cartilage, connective tissue, blood vessels, and other structures.
Our bodies also produce Glycine to help make creatine, antioxidants, enzymes, and the blood protein heme.
Glycine has many health benefits, and our bodies might produce it naturally.
However, in most cases, some health factors might affect its production, making the body meet a certain health crisis. For this reason, consuming supplementary Glycine proves helpful to our body functions.
Does Glycine help with sleep?
Glycine proves to come with many health benefits. Among these benefits lies its ability to help with sleep. It has proven effective in lowering the body’s core temperature and providing a calming effect that boosts sleep.
Instead of taking prescription sleeping pills, having 3 grams of this supplementary amino acid may improve your sleep pattern.
Glycine brings with it the following effects that boost your sleeping.
- Glycine helps reduce sleep wait time. You will fall asleep faster after consuming it.
- Your sleep becomes more quality
- You won’t feel tired and sleepy during the day
- Your cognitive level will improve
- Your sleep patterns get more regular and improved
What are the other benefits of taking Glycine?
1. Glycine helps in the production of glutathione
The body requires antioxidants to help keeps the cells safe from oxidative damage.
Glycine is a major component in producing the antioxidant glutathione that prevents this cell damage.
When cells get damaged, you stand the risk of suffering multiple health issues. In addition, glutathione production decreases as we get older. Glycine helps keep this antioxidant production constant even as we age.
With optimal body functioning, you will get enough sleep with a regular dreaming pattern.
2. Glycine proves to be a key component in making creatine
Did you know that your muscles require energy when performing quick and short bursts of activity? Such activities might include weight lifting and other quick exercises.
Glycine combines with other amino acids to make creatine. As a result, creatine provides the muscles with such energy to make those activities possible.
Creatine also helps produce healthy bones, preventing neurological conditions, increasing muscle size, and providing body strength. So, supplementing Glycine guarantees you enough creatine for all these body functions.
3. Glycine boosts liver health against the alcohol effect
Alcohol contributes to liver damage when consumed excessively. Some conditions arising from liver damage include liver hepatitis, cirrhosis, and fatty liver.
Research has shown that taking Glycine may reduce liver inflammations, thus preventing liver damage.
A study that involved experiments on rats showed that Glycine promoted the metabolism of alcohol in the stomach and prevented it from getting to the liver. The fast-pass metabolism in the stomach ensured that liver inflammation by alcohol didn’t occur.
Glycine also improved the recovery process from liver damage when abstaining from alcohol.
Although these studies were based on animals, you might gain more benefits through Glycine intake, especially in recovering from alcoholism.
4. Glycine has an impact on people with type 2 diabetes
If you have developed type 2 Diabetes, your body may secrete less insulin or find it challenging to utilize the produced insulin. This condition increases blood sugar levels as insulin doesn’t work appropriately to decrease it.
Diabetes also reduces Glycine levels worsening the insulin production process. Taking Glycine supplements maintains insulin production preventing the development of diabetes in healthy individuals.
So, taking Glycine supplements might help repair insulin impairment in response to people with type 2 diabetes.
With proper lifestyle changes, supplementing your dietary requirements with Glycine may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
5. Glycine helps in collagen production
Our bodies require collagen to provide energy for various body structures. Glycine functions as the major amino acid making up collagen.
Since collagen is the most prevailing protein in bodies, it boosts the production of muscles, cartilage, blood, skin, bones, and ligaments. Therefore, supplementing Glycine improves collagen production in our body.
With enough collagen, your skin gets healthy, you experience fewer joint pains, and your bones keep getting stronger.
6. You will enjoy a healthy heart
Glycine contributes to the utilization of nitric acid. Nitric oxide helps regulate blood flow while preventing high blood pressure.
As Glycine helps with nitric oxide utilization, your heart maintains a healthy state.
Also, it helps prevent the accumulation of a certain compound that may lead to the narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels (atherosclerosis).
Glycine also proves important in minimizing the chances of heart attacks in people taking it as a supplement.
FAQs
Is Glycine hard on the liver?
Glycine helps prevent liver damage from alcohol. So, on the contrary, Glycine isn’t hard on the liver.
How does Glycine make you feel?
Glycine will make you feel less tired and sleepy due to its relaxing effect on the brain.
Does Glycine increase REM sleep?
Glycine helps people spend more time in REM sleep, improving sleep quality.
Does Glycine deplete dopamine?
No research shows that taking Glycine depletes neurotransmitters like dopamine. So, you should take Glycine supplements without fear of dopamine depletion.
Who should take Glycine?
Although taking Glycine improves sleep and quality, certain people should not take it. Such people include pregnant and lactating mothers.
Also, you need amino acids only for a short period. Even when Glycine has many health benefits, you should only take amino acids after talking to your doctor.
Does Glycine affect serotonin?
Glycine works to elevate serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin in nerve cells all over the body regulates behavior, body temperature, attention, digestion, and other body processes. So, taking Glycine helps keep these functions working optimally and thus proves essential. As the body temperature gets regulated, you experience more balanced sleep patterns.
Is Glycine good for mental health?
Mental diseases like depression and anxiety seem to improve with Glycine supplements.
People with schizophrenia and unresponsive drug therapy have improved symptoms after taking Glycine.
Conclusion
Glycine has many health benefits for those taking it.
Instead of taking sleeping pills, taking Glycine improves sleep quality and adds more health benefits. However, talk to your health professional before taking any supplements.
