Hormonal
Low circulating glycine levels are consistently associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and prospective studies indicate that decreased plasma glycine is a strong predictive factor for incident glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes.
If you have obesity or type 2 diabetes, your blood glycine levels are likely lower than average, which is linked to higher insulin resistance. While eating more glycine-rich foods (like vegetable proteins) might help, the root cause involves how your body makes and uses glycine, influenced by your gut bacteria. Focus on overall metabolic health improvements (weight loss, exercise) which are associated with improved glycine concentrations.
Low plasma glycine concentrations have been consistently reported in association with obesity, T2DM, and NAFLDs... prospective studies indicate that a decrease in plasma glycine concentration is a strong predictive factor for incident glucose intolerance and T2DM
Why this rating
Supported by multiple observational studies, meta-analyses, and prospective cohorts, though causality is not fully proven.
Source
Glycine Metabolism and Its Alterations in Obesity and Metabolic Diseases
Anaïs Alves et al. · Nutrients · 2019
DOI 10.3390/nu11061356
More from this paper
- Glycine deficiency in metabolic disorders is driven by three simultaneous mechanisms: decreased gut absorption, decreased endogenous biosynthesis, and increased catabolism or urinary excretion.Good
- Dietary patterns, specifically the source of protein (vegetable vs. meat), influence plasma glycine levels more than total glycine intake, with vegetable proteins associated with higher circulating glycine compared to meat proteins.Moderate
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →