Glycine Helps to Prevent Arthrosis

According to a study performed at the Cellular Metabolism Institute in Tenerife, direct intake of glycine as a food additive helps to prevent arthrosis and other degenerative bone diseases. The study, whose results were published in August 2007 on the University of Granada's website, was lead by Dr. Patricia De Paz, a member of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Granada.

Glycine is a non-essential amino acid used by an organism to synthesize proteins and is present in foods such as fish, meat or dairy products. Arthrosis, a disease very similar to arthritis, consists of a degeneration of the articulary cartilage in joints. Arthrosis affects millions of Americans each year and has no cure at the present.

CMI researchers studied the effect of the glycine supplement on the diet of a group of 600 volunteers affected by different diseases related to arthrosis, physical injuries or osteoporosis. The patients analysed were aged 4-85, and the average age was 45. Glycine, was administered in daily doses of 10 grams divided into two doses of 5 grams to each of the patients.

The study reported that, in all cases, there was a notable improvement in the symptomology. The team concluded that many degenerative diseases such as arthrosis can be treated as deficiency diseases, ones due to a lack of glycine.