Posted on 05/06/2023 6:31:54 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
Supplementing GlyNAC—a combination of glycine and N-acetylcysteine as precursors of the natural antioxidant glutathione—improved or reversed age-associated cognitive decline in old mice and improved multiple associated defects in the aging brain.
Sekhar and his team worked with three groups of mice. Two groups were aged naturally side-by-side until they were 90 weeks old, which is similar to a 70-year-old person. At 90 weeks of age, both groups of old mice were evaluated for their cognitive abilities, such as remembering the correct route in a maze that leads to a food reward.
These results were compared to those of young mice, the third group. Then, one group of old mice began a GlyNAC-supplemented diet, while the other group, called the old-controls, continued their regular diet without GlyNAC supplementation.
After completing eight weeks on their respective diets, the animals' cognitive abilities were evaluated again.
Sekhar said: "Compared to young mice, old mice had cognitive impairment and many brain abnormalities such as glutathione deficiency, increased oxidative stress, impaired mitochondrial function, elevated inflammation, genomic damage and lower levels of brain-supporting factors. Importantly, we found evidence that there was a shortage of transporters responsible for moving glucose, the main fuel for the brain, into this organ."
"This problem gets worse because the mitochondria, the engines that burn glucose to provide energy, were also not working well in the brain."
GlyNAC supplementation in old mice corrected brain glutathione deficiency, improved brain glucose transporters, reversed mitochondrial dysfunction and improved cognition. In addition, GlyNAC supplementation reduced oxidative stress, inflammation and genomic damage and improved neurotrophic factors.
Previous studies reported that GlyNAC supplementation improved similar biological defects in the heart, liver and kidneys, and also increased length of life, provided improvements in skeletal muscle and blood and reversal of aging hallmarks.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I take glycine in powdered form and NAC in capsules, just due to NAC having a taste that doesn’t compliment foods or drinks.
The powdered glycine will say how many milligrams are in a fraction of a teaspoon.
Is glycine itself essential for the cognitive restoration effect or is elevated glutathione the real goal? I ask because of the aforementioned problem I have with glycine causing heartburn. The liposomal glutathione supplements do not. The NAC part is trouble-free for me.
This study night shed some light on my question:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-02-glutathione-lowers-alzheimer-pathology-cognitive.html
It is possible that glycine has benefits that occur irrespective of glutathione level.
I get some glycine from a collagen supplement but even that causes heartburn.
Thanks for all your posts.
Amazon has a pretty good offer for a liposomal glutathione product (+ sulforaphane and a bit of glycine, etc.) for $10.20 for 60 capsules so I bought six bottles. Enough for six months.
Glutathione is not a useful substitute for GlyNAC.
Glutathione cannot go all the places needed, such as within cells. Glutathione is made in cells from glycine and cysteine and at least one other molecule.
You are most welcome.
Maybe, maybe not. I don’t think enough research has been done to definitively answer the question.
Bkmk
Good info. Thx.
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