An exciting new study, recently published in the Journal of Functional Foods, has discovered that by increasing the consumption of a tiny amino acid in our diet we can significantly reduce the severity, frequency, and duration of viral infections like common colds and flu.
Previous studies have shown that we are all seriously deficient in this simplest of amino acids, Glycine, which is essential in ensuring we maximize our collagen turnover and uphold the integrity of our extracellular matrix (ECM).
The ECM, mainly composed of collagen, is a mechanical barrier against infective agents, including viruses.
Glycine is a very effective mechanical defense, which by promoting the restoration and renewal of collagen in the ECM, can prevent or block the invasion of infectious agents.
The study, performed by Professor Enrique Meléndez-Hevia et al 2021, of the Institute of Cellular Metabolism in Spain, confirms that a weak bodily collagen structure renders us more susceptible to the entry of viruses and other infectious agents and it’s all because of our universal deficiency of the amino acid Glycine.
Highlights of the study include:
- The extracellular matrix is a physical barrier against infectious agents.
- Collagen (high glycine content) is the main protein of the extracellular matrix.
- Glycine is an essential amino acid as studies have previously demonstrated.
- Glycine deficiency causes a weak mechanical system including the extracellular matrix.
- Glycine intake as nutritional supplement was very effective against virus infections.
How viruses penetrate our body
Invasive agents (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or viruses) advance in the body to invade new areas through our ECM, which not only is the mechanical support of our tissues throughout our entire body, but importantly, also acts as a mechanical barrier that impedes or blocks the invasion of infective agents and prevents their expansion within the body.
In fact, many invasive agents secrete enzymes to destroy the collagen of the ECM to allow or improve their advance and proliferation through the tissues.
The ECM must be continuously regenerated and remodeled in order to eliminate old damaged collagen, which accumulates deteriorations in its structure, and to resynthesize new molecules.
You see, the ECM is made up of collagen and elastin, of which collagen constitutes approximately 25–33% of the total protein in our bodies. Glycine makes up one third of collagen, which means you need a high availability of this amino acid to support a healthy turnover of collagen.
Furthermore, the worsening of our mechanical system due to the deterioration of collagen will affect not only cartilage, bone, tendons, ligaments, etc., but the entire connective system of the ECM that is found in all tissues.
Besides replenishing collagen and improving immunity, our body uses glycine to: (1) prevent tissue injury; (2) enhance anti-oxidative capacity; (3) promote protein synthesis and wound healing; and (4) treat metabolic disorders in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, ischemia-reperfusion injuries, cancers, and various inflammatory diseases.
Imagine your body as a well-fortified castle. The strong outer walls are your first line of defense, keeping invaders at bay. In this analogy, the castle walls are your ECM, a complex web of proteins that surrounds and supports your cells. Now, viruses are like sneaky siege weapons, trying to breach the walls and take over your castle (your cells).
The Battle Plan: Building Stronger Walls
Professor Enrique Meléndez-Hevia and his team of researchers focused on the ECM, specifically collagen, the main protein that gives your walls (and your skin!) its structure. Healthy collagen turnover is essential for maintaining a strong ECM barrier. Here's where glycine comes in: it's a building block for collagen synthesis. The study hypothesized that increasing glycine availability could reinforce the ECM, making it harder for viruses to penetrate.
Viruses are cunning. They constantly evolve to find weaknesses in our defenses. If the ECM weakens, viruses can exploit these gaps, gaining access to healthy cells and causing infections. This is especially concerning for people with frequent viral infections, where a compromised ECM might be a contributing factor.
The Experiment: Putting the Walls to the Test
The Meléndez-Hevia study suggests that insufficient glycine levels might lead to a weakened ECM, making you more susceptible to viral infections.
The study investigated the potential of glycine supplementation to strengthen the ECM and fight viral invasiveness. Researchers divided volunteers with frequent viral infections into two groups. One group received a daily dose of glycine, while the other received a placebo.
It was conducted over a three-year period with 127 volunteers ranging between the ages of 15 and 70, who usually had the flu and/or the common cold every year (17 of them two or more times each year). They were divided into two groups (85 who took Glycine and 42 who did not).
The 85 were advised to take glycine as the only nutritional supplement, 10 g/day, divided into two doses of 5 g with breakfast and dinner.
All of them were warned that they should maintain a diet rich in a range of amino acids (such as high-quality protein); otherwise, part of the Glycine would be used in metabolism for the synthesis of other non-essential amino acids that might be deficient and would therefore not give the expected result.
The Results: A Remarkable Finding
At the end of the trial, of the 85 who took glycine, only 16 (18.8%, 12 of them belonging to the group that usually contracted infectious diseases more than once a year) had infections once, only during the first year of treatment, and much less severe and for a briefer period of time (3–4 days instead of the habitual 6–7 days prior to treatment), while of the 42 that did not take glycine, 39 of them contracted infections in the same way as before.
From this remarkable outcome, the scientists concluded that Glycine intake at a 10g/day dose (taken with a good balance of supporting amino acids), prevents the spread of viruses by strengthening the extracellular matrix barriers against their advance.
These multiple beneficial effects of glycine, coupled with its insufficient synthesis within the body, support the notion that it is a conditionally essential and also a functional amino acid for humans.
In regular diets, glycine is not adequately synthesized and so it should always be taken with a diet rich in protein to avoid its metabolic use synthesizing other non-essential amino acids that might be deficient in a low-protein diet, deviating glycine from its expected function and which would therefore not give the expected result.
Although legumes, fish, dairy products, and meat are some of the good sources of food, it is unreasonable to think the shortfall of 10g of glycine per day can be made up from the diet. The glycine content of most meats and seafoods is 1-2 grams per 100 grams of cooked food, eggs contain 0.4 grams per 100 grams of whole egg, and milk contains 0.08 grams per 100 grams of milk. This means that to get 10 grams from the diet would mean eating 5 steaks every day.
Studies have shown that consuming glycine in the form of a peptide (as in Glymax) results in a larger (9-12-fold vs 7-fold increase above fasting levels) and more rapid (30-45 vs 45-60 minutes) peak of glycine in the blood system.
When peptides are given, they appear in the peripheral blood entirely as free glycine. The study showed that a given quantity of glycine is more rapidly absorbed into the blood when administered as a small peptide than as the free amino acid.
Glymax hydrolyzed collagen peptide, produced by CollagenX, the leading Australian collagen company, has been specifically designed to contain over 20% more glycine than regular collagen, plus a rich and balanced profile of supporting amino acids. Supplementing your diet with Glymax increases the reinforcement potential of the body’s connective tissues, which may conceivably impede the advance of invasive agents (viruses or bacteria), thereby enhancing the capability of the immune system to repel such invasive agents.
What About Vitamin C?
There is a common message in the collagen industry that collagen peptides need to be taken with vitamin C for the collagen to work.
The science is more straightforward. Vitamin C is required for normal collagen formation, but hydrolysed collagen peptides do not need to be "activated" by vitamin C when you consume them. Vitamin C is used by your body as part of the normal process of producing collagen.
We've explored this distinction in more detail in The Vitamin C Lie: Why Most Collagen Supplements Are Missing the Best Part.
So why does Glymax contain vitamin C?
Because vitamin C has two roles that are directly relevant to the purpose of Glymax. It contributes to normal collagen formation and to the normal function of the immune system.
The next question was where that vitamin C should come from.
Why We Chose Acerola Cherry
We could have simply added synthetic ascorbic acid.
Instead, we chose whole-food acerola cherry.
Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C. Published research reports approximately 1,500–4,500 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of acerola fruit, which is around 50–100 times the amount found in oranges and lemons. Acerola review, Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) Anti-Inflammatory Activity—A Review
That gives some perspective on why acerola is such an interesting natural source of vitamin C.
But acerola is more than a concentrated source of ascorbic acid. Research identifies a range of naturally occurring compounds in the fruit, including phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins and carotenoids. Acerola review, Acerola, an untapped functional superfruit
What Does the Research Tell Us About Acerola and Vitamin C?
Researchers have also directly compared vitamin C supplied through acerola with isolated ascorbic acid.
In a study of healthy adults, participants consumed acerola juice containing 50 mg of vitamin C or an equivalent dose of ascorbic acid. The researchers measured vitamin C in blood and urine for six hours. Vitamin C exposure in plasma tended to be higher after acerola juice, while urinary excretion was significantly lower at several time points. The researchers concluded that components of acerola juice favourably affected the absorption and excretion of vitamin C. Uchida et al., Absorption and excretion of ascorbic acid alone and in acerola juice
A separate study examined acerola in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. At the same vitamin C concentration, acerola juice produced significantly greater intracellular vitamin C uptake than ascorbic acid alone. The researchers also observed increased expression of the sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter SVCT1 and found that acerola polyphenols including cyanidin-3-glucoside and quercetin enhanced SVCT1 gene expression. Acerola and SVCT1 study
These findings help explain the scientific interest in acerola as a natural vitamin C ingredient.
100% of Your Recommended Daily Intake
Glymax provides 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C per serve, supplied through its acerola-based formulation.
That vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation and normal immune system function.
So acerola has a clearly defined place in Glymax: it provides a highly concentrated natural source of vitamin C while also retaining the naturally occurring compounds found in the fruit.
Three Ingredients. One Biological Purpose.
Glymax brings together three deliberately selected ingredients.
Peptan® hydrolysed collagen peptides
Provide the collagen peptide foundation.
Additional glycine
Provides 5.16 g of glycine per serve, complementing the glycine naturally present in collagen peptides.
Whole-food acerola cherry
Provides natural vitamin C, contributing to normal collagen formation and normal immune system function.
Three ingredients.
Three complementary biological roles.
One purpose.
Supporting your body's natural ability to maintain, repair and defend itself.
