GlyNAC Supplementation Slows Cognitive Decline in Mice
GlyNAC supplementation involves intake of comparatively large amounts of glycine and N-acetylcysteine in order to boost levels of the antioxidant glutathione, which normally decline with age. In small human trials this proved to be a surprisingly beneficial intervention for older people when it comes to reducing inflammation and improving measures of health. Animal studies still continue, of course, and here researchers demonstrate that GlyNAC supplementation slows cognitive decline in mice.
Researchers 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 and their brains analyzed to measure specific brain defects that had previously been associated with cognitive impairment in studies by others. The results of these analyses in old mice supplemented with GlyNAC were compared with those of the old-control group and with the corresponding data obtained from young mice.
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 rodent studies reported that GlyNAC supplementation improved similar biological defects in the heart, liver and kidneys, and also increased length of life. A recently published randomized clinical trial in older humans provided evidence of similar improvements in skeletal muscle and blood and reversal of aging hallmarks.
Link: https://www.bcm.edu/news/glynac-supplementation-improves-cognitive-decline-and-brain-health
Somewhat expensive, Couldn't one simply take Glycine and Nac separately at the same time?
The effect size of GlyNAC even in rodents is exactly the same as just NAC. The only difference is that they can monetize GlyNAC because of their patent.
Humans on not idiotic diets are not defecient in Glycine. No point in supplementing it.
NAC seems great but this study - causing lung cancer in mice - gives me pause:
The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine protects from lung emphysema but induces lung adenocarcinoma in mice
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6795405/
@august33
Thanks for the link. I wonder what this means for senolytics.
@august33
Virtually nothing related to mice's tumor suppression, anti-oxidant or DNA repair systems translates in any meaningful way to humans. If it did cancer would have been cured and we all lived to 200.
I take them separately. NAC 1.5g/day in 1 dose. Glycine 9g/ day in 2 doses. I always take the NAC spaced apart from any food or supplements, I mixed it once with a protein shake and it precipitated at the bottom of the bottle in a coagulated mess.