Glycine is a proteinaceous amino acid that has a number of functions in humans. One interesting fact about glycine is that a number of studies have suggested that supplements of glycine can extend the lives of animals. Although the extension is modest, somewhere around 4 to 6 %, the results are consistent and statistically significant. However, the amount of glycine in the diet was rather high at 8 % of the diet in one study. One mechanism by which glycine could extend the lifespan is through its conversion to the antioxidant glutathione. Glycine is the rate limiting factor in glutathione synthesis and so by increasing intake through the diet, the rate of glutathione synthesis may increase. This is relevant because glutathione is a cellular antioxidant and glutathione levels correlate with longevity. Therefore raising cellular levels of glutathione may have significant health benefits and one of the easiest ways to achieve this is through supplementation with the amino acid glycine.
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