L-glycine is a non-essential amino acid or building block for protein that the body produces on its own. As with all other amino acids its main source is protein rich foods which include fish, meat, legumes, and dairy. L-Glycine can also be taken as a supplement, especially for those that want to improve their memory and thinking skills, those who have experienced a stroke and those with schizophrenia. While L-glycine is used for those conditions there is not enough scientific evidence to support that it can actually help reducing symptoms for such illnesses.
While the body uses L-glycine to help make proteins in the body, L-glycine is also involved in the transmission of chemical signals in the brain and therefore there is scientific interest in further research for the use in schizophrenia and improving memory. A number of scientific research have shown that there is a possibility that L-Glycine could have a role in cancer prevention because it seems to interfere with the blood supply needed by certain tumors.
There are many claims on what L-glycine can accomplish in regard to health however there has been insufficient scientific evidence for the following: good for a disorder that prevents the body from making serine, improvement in memory and thinking skills, improvement of cystic fibrosis, cancer prevention, liver protection and several other conditions.
L-glycine has been proven possibly safe when taken orally, however some side effects like gastrointestinal problems such as soft stools, nausea, stomach upset, and vomiting have been reported. As with any supplementations women that are pregnant, or breastfeeding should consult their family physician as to the safety of taking L-glycine.
We recommend that anyone that wants to take any amino acid as supplementation, should also consult their family physician to see if there is any interaction with their current medications or anything that may affect them negatively.
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