Glycine
Glycine is a critical amino acid, essential for numerous neurological, cognitive, muscle and metabolic functions. Glycine supports the body in breaking down and transporting nutrients such as glycogen and fat to be used as energy for our cells. It supports our muscular, immune, digestive and nervous systems and is found in particularly high concentrations in skin, connective tissues / joints and muscle tissue.
Glycine & Collagen
Glycine is the most abundant amino acid in collagen, making up one third of collagen's amino acid profile. It supports muscle growth, helps to heal the lining of the digestive tract, strengthens and repairs cartilage in joints, strengthens and restores skin (less wrinkles!) and more.
"Non-Essential" or Essential?
Technically, glycine is considered a 'non-essential' amino acid because our bodies are capable of synthesizing it... in small amounts. However, modern research demonstrates that we don't produce nearly as much as our bodies actually need. For humans, including glycine-rich foods in our diets, such as bone broth and chicken skin, can supply us with a generous portion of glycine, but regular consumption still may not provide enough. This is where glycine (and / or collagen) supplementation can be very helpful.
Glyphosate (RoundUp) Masquerading as Glycine?
According to the research of Dr. Stephanie Seneff, Senior Research Scientist with MIT, Glyphosate (the main ingredient / herbicide in RoundUp weed killer) has the ability to replace our critical amino acid glycine with itself, potentially creating a very long list of genetic disorders and inflammatory conditions. Glyphosate is glycine amino acid, decorated with harmful chemicals, so structurally it fits right into glycine's place (its very simple structure has only a single hydrogen atom as its side chain). With Glyphosate in glycine's place, this could handicap the body's processes on a cellular level.
When horses are fed GMO by-products as the main ingredients in commercial feeds, balancers and many supplements, how much Glyphosate exposure do we suppose they might be getting, potentially interfering with their glycine stores and cellular processes? Did you know Glyphosate is also found in vaccinations when third party tested for purity (related: injection vs. ingestion)? Is the farmer spraying RoundUp on the hay your horse is eating 24/7? What can we do to limit our horse's exposure to Glyphosate? Feeding them organic and wildcrafted ingredients is as close we can come to ruling it out, as it's not allowed to be used in organic crops or wildcrafted plants.
Glycine and Glycogen Conversion (PSSM)
When glucose (sugar) is consumed, it’s converted into glycogen for storage, to be used later by the body for energy. However, with PSSM, it gets stuck as glycogen and is unable to convert back into glucose to be used by the mitochondria, so it builds up / accumulates in the muscle tissues.
Why is this happening? What is paralyzing the glycogen, inhibiting it from its normal function?
Glycine is critical for glycogen conversion. The enzyme that regulates glycogen synthase, Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3), might be the busiest kinase in most cells, having over 100 known substrates to deal with. The key here is, GSK3 has a glycine-rich region, and deletion of this region will induce the nuclear accumulation of GSK3α. GSK3 is a metabolic sensor that restricts cell mass accumulation, but it cannot do so if it is missing the glycine-rich region.
Ultimately, by limiting our horses exposure to Glyphosate and providing them with ample amounts of pure glycine, we can better support their bodies in recovering these normal and absolutely critical processes.
Benefit Highlights:
- Supports a normal inflammatory response
- Helps manage pain
- Inhibitory neurotransmitter
- Calms nerves
- Helps regulate nerve impulses
- Supports normal cellular processes
- Helps to regulate blood sugar levels
- Helps manage diabetes
- Helps balance electrolyte levels including calcium, chloride & potassium
- Support glycogen conversion (PSSM)
- Promotes muscle growth
- Repairs & protects joints & cartilage
- Supports digestion
- Strengthens the immune system
- Slows the aging process
- Helps fight fatigue
- Supports restful sleep
- Can improve mental / cognitive performance & much more!
Ingredients: 100% Glycine (amino acid) powder.
Administration Instructions: 1 scoop (6 g), twice daily, for every 1,000 lbs of body weight. This can doubled as needed for acute situations.
Storage: Please store in a cool, dry place.