Research
Macro partitioning
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.
If you are trying to improve metabolic health, consider the source of your protein. Plant-based proteins are associated with higher circulating glycine levels compared to meat proteins, which may offer some protection against type 2 diabetes risk.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Plasma glycine concentration was significantly altered according to food choice, being higher in the vegetarian and vegan groups compared to the meat eaters... consumption of meat proteins may be associated with a low level of circulating glycine, whereas consumption of proteins from vegetable sources may be associated with higher glycine concentrations.
Why this rating
Based on observational studies (EPIC) and one short-term RCT, but 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
narrative_reviewCited 369×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- 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.Good
- Glycine deficiency in metabolic disorders is driven by three simultaneous mechanisms: decreased gut absorption, decreased endogenous biosynthesis, and increased catabolism or urinary excretion.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
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