Nootropic profile
Glycine
Glycine is the simplest amino acid, serving as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and a key building block for proteins, collagen, and glutathione. It promotes deep, restorative sleep, reduces anxiety, and supports cognitive function through NMDA receptor co-agonism.
Best for
Educational only: this is not medical advice. Always check with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement.
What is Glycine?
Glycine is the smallest and simplest amino acid, yet it plays an outsized role in brain function, sleep quality, and overall health.
What it does for you
Community and editorial ratings, out of 5:
How to take it
- For sleep: 3 grams taken 30–60 minutes before bed (the dose used in most clinical studies)
- For cognitive support: 1–3 grams per day
- For antioxidant support: 1–3 grams per day, often combined with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for glutathione synthesis
- Taste: Naturally sweet - dissolves easily in water and is pleasant to drink
- Upper limit: Well-tolerated up to 9 grams per day in studies. Higher doses may cause mild gastrointestinal effects.
Watch out for
- Side effects: Very few. Possible mild nausea or soft stools at high doses.
- Drug interactions: May interact with clozapine (antipsychotic). Consult a doctor if taking psychiatric medications.
- Pregnancy: Glycine is a naturally occurring amino acid present in many foods and is generally considered safe, though supplementation during pregnancy...
- Safety profile: Excellent. Glycine is endogenous, non-toxic at supplemental doses, and does not cause tolerance or dependence.
The science, if you're curious.
- Glycine lowers core body temperature by dilating peripheral blood vessels via NMDA receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, mimicking the natural...
- Acts on glycine receptors in the brainstem and spinal cord, producing calming, anxiolytic effects and reducing neural excitability.
- Serves as an obligatory co-agonist at the glycine-binding site of NMDA receptors, facilitating synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory formation.
- Essential precursor for glutathione (GSH), the body's primary endogenous antioxidant, supporting detoxification and neuroprotection.
Where to find it
- Endogenous production: The body synthesises glycine from serine and threonine
- Food sources: Bone broth, gelatin, meat (especially skin and connective tissue), fish, dairy, legumes, and spinach
- Collagen supplements: Collagen peptides are approximately 33% glycine by weight
- Supplements: Available as pure powder (pleasant sweet taste), capsules, and tablets. Inexpensive and widely available.
The research
Frequently asked
Glycine is the simplest amino acid, serving as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and a key building block for proteins, collagen, and glutathione. It promotes deep, restorative sleep, reduces anxiety, and supports cognitive function through NMDA receptor co-agonism.
The main benefits people report from Glycine are: Anxiety & Calm, Cognitive Enhancement, Longevity, Memory, Mood, Sleep, Stress Relief.
For sleep: 3 grams taken 30–60 minutes before bed (the dose used in most clinical studies)For cognitive support: 1–3 grams per dayFor antioxidant support: 1–3 grams per day, often combined with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for glutathione synthesisTaste: Naturally sweet - dissolves easily in water and is...
Side effects: Very few. Possible mild nausea or soft stools at high doses.Drug interactions: May interact with clozapine (antipsychotic). Consult a doctor if taking psychiatric medications.Pregnancy: Glycine is a naturally occurring amino acid present in many foods and is generally considered safe,...
Glycine lowers core body temperature by dilating peripheral blood vessels via NMDA receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, mimicking the natural...Acts on glycine receptors in the brainstem and spinal cord, producing calming, anxiolytic effects and reducing neural excitability.Serves as an obligat...
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