The Healthy Sugar Substitute You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

This article was previously published on February 4, 2019 and has been updated with new information.

As you probably know, inflammation and oxidative damage are the main causes of most chronic diseases. What you may not know is the importance of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) and NADPH oxidase, commonly abbreviated NOX, in these processes.

In a recent article,^firstJames DiNicolantonio, who co-wrote my book, “Super Fuel,” details the importance of collagen and glycine for inhibiting NADPH breakdown. DiNicolantonio, also co-wrote a book with Jason Fung, titled “The Longevity Solution,” which dives into how collagen and glycine can help increase longevity.

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Without adequate amounts of NADPH, your body cannot load up on glutathione once it is oxidized. As you know, glutathione is important for detoxification, and both collagen and glycine effectively increase your NADPH levels by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down NADPH.

Considering the importance of NADPH for optimal health and the prevention of chronic disease, this is truly important information that can make a big difference for many people, as collagen and glycine are both readily available and compatible. relatively cheap. But before diving into the specifics of how glycine affects NOX and NADPH, let’s review some basics.

What are NADPH and NOX?

NADPH is a shortened form of NADP+. It is an essential reducing agent for anabolic reactions, including lipid and nucleic acid synthesis. NOX is an enzyme complex that is bound to the cell membrane, towards the extracellular space. NOX inhibition is a useful strategy to increase NADPH and cellular resistance to oxidative stress.

NOX is activated in a large number of pathological conditions that generate a lot of oxidative stress. In fact, according to DiNicolantonio, overactive NOX seems to play an important role in a wide range of health conditions, including but not limited to:

As explained by DiNicolantonio in an article² details the ability of bilirubin to inhibit NOX complexes and regulate NOX activity, and the benefits of spirulina for this purpose:

“Activation of NADPH oxidase [NOX] Oxidative stress in adipocytes, largely derived from NADPH oxidase activity, appears to play an important role in the induction of insulin resistance and production production of adipokines and cytokines in hypertrophic adipocytes. “

Six ways to inhibit NOX and increase NADPH

NADPH is used as a source of reducing electrons for antioxidants to become oxidized and inactive. NADPH is also needed to make your steroid hormones and fats. When you have low level you are in deep trouble.

That said, NADPH does appear to be a biomolecule that can be helpful or harmful depending on how well it’s circulating at the time, so it needs to be carefully regulated by your body. For example, although NOX reduces NADPH, it also plays an important role in helping your immune system fight bacteria and helping your T cells function properly.

Then, preventing many chronic diseases will require finding ways to inhibit or modulate NOX. The good news is that there are several ways to do this that are inexpensive and no-frills, including the following:

Glycine regulates NADPH and has anticancer activity

According to the prominent newspaper,⁶ Supplemental glycine may be useful for the “prevention and management of atherosclerosis, heart failure, cancer-associated angiogenesis or retinal disorders, and a variety of inflammatory syndromes, including metabolism.” Glycine can also be a great supplement for spirulina, as both block NOX.

The featured article also details glycine’s anti-angiogenic activity, referring to its ability to inhibit the growth of blood vessels feeding tumors. For example, animal studies have shown that glycine-fed mice with cancer inhibited angiogenesis and tumor growth, although glycine did not directly affect tumor growth. proliferation of cancer cells.

DiNicolantonio and his team hypothesized that one of the reasons for this anti-tumor effect is that glycine increases chloride levels in endothelial cells, thereby limiting chloride export from the chromatin. body. This will inhibit the activation of NOX, which has pro-angiogenic activity (meaning it promotes the growth of blood vessels to tumors). According to this article:⁷

“This may explain the well-documented antiangiogenic effect of increasing plasma glycine to physiologically high levels. Anticancer immunosurveillance should be considered.

The anti-angiogenic effects of glycine may also have applications in the prevention or treatment of choroidal neovascularization associated with diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. It will be of great interest to determine whether the retinal pigment epithelium expresses glycine receptors. “

Glycine also supports blood vessel health

Activation of NOX also plays an important role in heart disease, and by inhibiting NOX (which increases NADPH), glycine may also protect against cardiovascular problems. DiNicolantonio and his team explain:

“Role of [NOX] Complex activation in promoting the anti-inflammatory behavior of vascular endothelium has been well documented; in particular, endothelium [NOX] play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. It is reasonable to admit that a high percentage of these [NOX] Activation occurs in endoscopes, and is easily modulated by intracellular chloride levels.

If so, we might expect an increase in plasma glycine, through stimulation of glycine-activated chloride channels, to suppress endothelial inflammation by counteracting the endothelium. [NOX] work.Furthermore, the hyperpolarizing effects of glycine on endothelial cells may also promote vascular health by promoting calcium influx into endothelial cells, thereby enhancing the protective activity of endogenous nitric oxide synthesis. tissue.

It seems unlikely, given the documented effects of glycine on macrophages, that supplemental glycine might counteract atherogenesis and plaque instability through its anti-inflammatory effects. inflammation on macrophages and foam cells…Glycine may also provide antioxidant protection to the myocardium… Furthermore, in rats with cardiac pressure overload or angiotensin II administration, glycine supplementation reduced subsequent cardiac hypertrophy. “

Glycine Supplements Can Improve Your Health

Considering the importance of mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress, as well as the roles of NOX and NADPH in these processes, glycine supplementation holds great promise as a simple and inexpensive adjuvant therapy. money. I personally take a quarter teaspoon (about 1 gram) twice a day.

Since glycine has a mildly sweet taste, you can even use it as a healthy sugar substitute in tea or coffee. As noted by DiNicolantonio, “Intakes as high as 31 grams per day have been shown to be safe. It is therefore ideal to incorporate into supplements and beverages.” The article also cites several studies that suggest that glycine supplementation may be beneficial for prevention and/or treatment:⁸

• Metabolic Syndrome – As noted in the DiNicolantonio article, “In people with metabolic syndrome who were supplemented with 15 grams of glycine daily (5 grams three times daily), markers of oxidative stress in the blood were observed. 25% reduction compared to placebo”
• Complications of diabetes
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver disorders
• Heart hypertrophy

Glycine supplements can also:⁹

While glycine powder is an inexpensive option, collagen is another alternative that is extremely rich in glycine. If going this route, I recommend looking for organic grass-fed collagen.

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