RESOURCES: THE APOCALYPSE ALMANAC. Fun, treatments, cures. FULLSCRIPT SUPPLEMENTS: Top quality, economical.
Table of Contents
1. Yoho Preface
2. Polymath Paul’s introduction
3. Glycine and GlyNAC: Simple Supplements with Profound Health Benefits
5. Synthesis
6. Sources: an AI search I did for you and some references
Yoho Preface
I am at the point where, to preserve my sanity and ability to swallow supplements without thinking about barfing, I must give up some of them. Items that might be best taken on an empty stomach, such as glyNAC, sometimes present the most problems. My Parkinson’s tremor and balance problems have worsened, and I suspect some of the damn pills I am taking are the culprit. So, I am on a supplement fast for a week, except for lithium, DMSO, iodine, and a few others.
I have been taking glycine without NAC (N-acetylcysteine) for about three weeks, and have experienced increased energy, improved sleep, and possibly some relief from ankle arthritis. I am having trouble tolerating NAC and would like to learn how to disguise the taste. To learn more about how to handle this and more, download my AI search in the Sources when you are done reading.
Polymath Paul Sansonetti’s introduction
I was concerned about Robert and recommended glyNAC, which is a combination of glycine and NAC (N-acetylcysteine). I told him that this and “TTFD,” a bioavailable thiamine, made me feel like Superman.
The combination of glycine and NAC offers incredible benefits:
It boosts glutathione, which makes it harder to get a sunburn.
It speeds up collagen production and turnover, which rejuvenates the skin and helps eliminate any problem areas that may become cancerous.
Glycine helps sleep and is anti-inflammatory. Your ankle arthritis should improve.
It starts working in a few days.
There are no known harmful effects.
Sources and how to take glyNAC:
The least costly sources are powder from BulkSupplements.com or PureBulk.com.
The dose I take is 10 grams each of glycine and NAC. [Yoho: See below; smaller amounts are also beneficial.]
Some recommend divided doses, but taking one large dose in the morning on an empty stomach is often the easiest. You mix it in a glass of water, or better, something like orange juice that will mask the taste.
Glycine tastes OK, like a weak sugar.
NAC, due to its sulfur group, has a pungent, rotten egg-like odor to most people. I need to find something that hides this.
One kilogram of glycine for $32 is HERE.
One kilogram of powder NAC is available HERE for $41. [The AI search has other options.]
Ten grams a day of each lasts me approximately 100 days.
[Yoho comment: Paul also recommended five mg of lithium orotate for me, and I told him I am already taking 10. It is over the counter, harmless at these doses, and it somehow calms brain neurons. It is available HERE.]
Back to Paul: I use these as nootropics to enhance my functioning. My brain now feels like it has a lot more energy, and my ability to focus is incredible. This also helps cure fatigue and lack of stamina.
I would seriously recommend trying glyNAC and TTFD for a month or two, homie.
[Yoho comment: Substantial clinical reports say high-dose thiamine in several gram doses harmlessly relieves Parkinson’s symptoms. Since I could not tolerate all the pills, I tried TTFD. Paul is a true polymath, and he is a font of ideas for me, but TTFD is a marketing phenomenon, and other thiamine formulations are likely just as good. I have too much information about that in the Parting Shot.]
Glycine and GlyNAC: Simple Supplements with Profound Health Benefits
by Robert Yoho
Glycine is the smallest amino acid. It drives protein synthesis and produces critical molecules, including creatine, glutathione, heme, and purine nucleotides. Though the body makes it from choline, serine, and threonine, production falls short of what we need.
The liver converts glycine into glucose, providing energy during fasting or low-carb periods while preventing carb cravings and replenishing muscle glycogen stores. Low doses of 1-3 grams don’t disrupt ketosis, which makes glycine valuable for ketogenic diets and intermittent fasting.
Why We’re All Deficient
Under normal conditions, humans, animals, and birds are unable to produce sufficient glycine. Some regard it as a nearly “essential” amino acid—a substance the human body cannot make and must therefore obtain from the diet. This bottleneck limits the body’s efficiency. Food additives like benzoates in soft drinks and processed foods bind available glycine, further depleting it. Low levels compromise essential enzyme and protein production, affecting multiple body systems.
Glycine Transforms Health
Collagen and Skin
Glycine makes up one-third of collagen’s amino acids. As collagen production declines with age, the skin becomes looser, wrinkles appear, cellulite increases, joint pain develops, and muscle building becomes more difficult. Taking 10 grams daily improves collagen synthesis by 200%. In elderly women, glycine acquisition through collagen intake improves skin elasticity, enhances moisture, and reduces water loss. A dose of 2.5 grams of collagen peptide for four weeks resulted in a 20% reduction in eye wrinkles, with benefits lasting beyond the study's conclusion. In 89 patients in long-term care facilities, glycine nearly doubled the healing speed of diabetic skin ulcers.
Muscle and Athletic Performance
Glycine fuels creatine production, which is stored in muscles and provides rapid energy during intense exercise. Without sufficient glycine, the body cannot produce enough of it, which limits muscle strength and mass gains. Glycine may enhance peak power output, reduce lactic acid accumulation during high-intensity exercise, and improve the quality of recovery. High doses trigger the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland, stimulating protein synthesis, building muscle, and promoting faster recovery.
Glycine prevents muscle breakdown while boosting recovery by providing cellular energy and increasing ATP production in working muscle tissues. This improves endurance, strength, and performance. Steroid hormone synthesis improves, decreasing the fat-to-muscle ratio.
Sleep and Brain Function
Glycine is also an inhibitory neurotransmitter that controls nerve signals in the brain and spinal cord, producing calming effects that promote relaxation and better sleep. Taking three grams before bed decreases the time needed to fall asleep, improves sleep quality, and reduces daytime sleepiness. It induces vasodilation throughout the body and lowers core body temperature, a critical trigger for falling asleep. Longer-term use improves sleep in healthy people while enhancing REM sleep patterns and decreasing non-REM sleep phases.
Heart Protection
Glycine fights inflammation by modulating nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) expression in many cell types. Higher glycine levels are associated with improved heart protection, likely due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Glycine protects against arterial narrowing and reduces platelet clumping, which causes heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. People with higher plasma glycine levels have lower risks of heart disease and heart attacks. The amino acid also helps lower blood pressure in certain populations.
Blood Sugar Control
Higher serum glycine levels are associated with lower insulin resistance, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced abdominal fat—all factors that contribute to a lower risk of metabolic disorders. Glycine reduces glycated hemoglobin levels, thereby improving glucose management in people with type 2 diabetes. It stimulates the release of glucagon, which helps insulin remove glucose from the blood. Better glucose regulation benefits everyone by maintaining steady blood sugar levels throughout the day and preventing energy crashes.
Liver Protection
The liver relies on glutathione, the body’s most powerful detoxifying substance, and glycine is essential for making it. Most glutathione synthesis occurs in the liver, but stores deplete easily. Glycine protects against alcohol-induced liver toxicity by reducing blood alcohol levels and metabolic byproducts while lowering gastric emptying rates. It helps those who consume excess alcohol by reducing harmful cholesterol, free fatty acids, and triglycerides in the blood, liver, and brain. It slows damage from liver injuries or disease.
Mental Health
After long-term glycine use, psychiatric symptoms decrease. It reduces symptoms of schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. Glycine calms overstimulated brain states while lowering stress and manic-like brain activity. Small amounts dilate brain microvessels by up to 250%, improving cerebral circulation.
Immune Support
Glycine reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines and free fatty acid concentrations while improving insulin response. It promotes anti-inflammatory effects by regulating the function of immune cells. As a precursor to glutathione, it eliminates toxic compounds and protects cells from oxidative stress. In animal models, glycine reduces inflammation, morbidity, and mortality from infections.
Practical Use
Most studies showing benefits use 3-10 grams daily, often split into 2-4 servings. Some research has used doses as high as 80-90 grams per day for several weeks without serious side effects. Doses above 40 grams per day may cause nausea and vomiting in some people. Massive doses over 500 mg per kilogram of body weight can cause kidney and liver toxicity and brain toxicity, causing neuronal death.
For most people, starting with 3-5 grams daily works well. Individuals seeking sleep benefits should take glycine 30-60 minutes before bedtime, while those targeting exercise performance or recovery may benefit from taking it pre- or post-workout.
Yoho note: I used three grams of the supplement in water at night on an empty stomach for two weeks with no noticeable effect on sleep. When I started taking 10 grams, my sleep improved dramatically within three days. To measure glycine, I purchased a $20 milligram scale HERE and some plastic scoops. I placed a 1-teaspoon scoop on the scale, zeroed it, and then found that when I filled it with glycine, it weighed 3.3 grams. I now mix three scoops in a glass of water and drink it nightly.
Food Sources
Glycine is concentrated in certain cuts of meat, such as chuck, round, and brisket. Bone broth provides large amounts through its gelatin content. Collagen supplements also deliver substantial glycine, as do glycine supplements in powder or capsule form. Powder forms mix easily into water and cost little, while capsules provide convenience for those who dislike the sweet taste. (Yoho comment: I like it.) Since all glycine supplements are the same, there’s no need to pay premium prices. HERE are Amazon sources.
GlyNAC reverses aging at the cellular level
With age, energy levels decline, muscles weaken, cognitive function slows, and the risk of disease increases each year. A combination of glycine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) can reverse much of this. GlyNAC has been proven effective in older adults, who experienced remarkable improvements in energy, strength, cognitive function, and cellular health in rigorous clinical trials.
How GlyNAC Works
GlyNAC generates glutathione, which protects cells from free radicals. Glutathione gets used up as it’s produced and must be constantly replenished. With age, people make less of it, leaving cells more vulnerable. Research at Baylor College of Medicine showed that older adults have 66% lower muscle glutathione concentrations than young adults.
This deficiency leads to elevated oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, multiple hallmarks of aging, impaired physical function, increased waist circumference, and elevated blood pressure. Mitochondria are vulnerable, and when they fail to function correctly, cells lose their ability to generate energy efficiently. This produces fatigue and weakness. When damaged mitochondria produce more harmful free radicals, it becomes a downward spiral. Glutathione depletion continues, leading to further cellular damage and dysfunction.
The primary reason for glutathione deficiency in older adults is decreased synthesis caused by a reduction in its two primary building blocks, glycine and cysteine. This produces a complex web of problems that emerge with advancing age.
Glutathione cannot be absorbed when taken directly as a supplement; the body must make it internally using raw materials. GlyNAC is glycine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the two amino acids required for glutathione synthesis. Taking both improves glutathione concentrations by 121% after just two weeks and by 164% after 16 weeks, restoring levels to match those in young adults.
Glycine and cysteine are both essential for cellular health. The researchers who developed glyNAC refer to the “Power of 3” concept—the combined effects of glycine, NAC, and the resulting glutathione production. This produces improvements that exceed the impact of any single component.
GlyNAC triggers a cascade of positive changes that help maintain the delicate balance that promotes overall health. With glutathione levels restored, mitochondria can function efficiently again, inflammation decreases, and cellular repair processes resume normal operation.
Clinical Results
Controlled clinical trials show glyNAC’s dramatic effects on aging. A landmark study at Baylor College of Medicine found that older adults taking it for 16 weeks showed improvements in several areas, including oxidative stress, glutathione deficiency, inflammation, insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, genomic damage, stem cell fatigue, and cellular aging. Multiple aging hallmarks that affect mitochondrial dysfunction improve.
The subjects’ muscle strength, waist circumference, and blood pressure all showed positive changes. GlyNAC for 24 weeks increased gait speed in older adults to match that of young adults, while enhancing muscle strength and exercise capacity.
Cognitive benefits are impressive. Research in aged mice has shown that glyNAC improves brain glutathione deficiency, oxidative stress, glucose uptake, mitochondrial dysfunction, genomic damage, inflammation, and neurotrophic factor levels, thereby reversing age-associated cognitive decline. Human studies confirmed these findings, with older adults experiencing significant improvements in memory and thinking ability when using glyNAC.
GlyNAC is safe and well-tolerated. Many benefits become evident within just two weeks of starting. It leads to reversal of aging markers—improvements in mitochondrial function, mitochondrial biogenesis, intercellular communication, nutrient sensing, protein maintenance, stem cell exhaustion, genomic damage, cellular senescence, and telomere attrition.
Animal studies show longevity effects. Mice receiving glyNAC starting at 65 weeks of age live significantly longer than control mice.
Sources
GlyNAC can be obtained through separate supplements of glycine HERE and N-acetylcysteine HERE, or these can be purchased as a combination. [See the AI search at the end for more definitive recommendations.] GlyNAC has better effects than glycine or NAC individually because glutathione synthesis requires both in optimal ratios.
GlyNAC is marketed in the United States by Nestlé Health Science under the name Celltrient Cellular Protect. However, Nestlé did not provide financial or material support for the research work that established GlyNAC’s benefits.
Safety
Clinical trials consistently report that glyNAC was safe and well-tolerated, with no significant adverse events. Use for 24 weeks in older adults produced improvements without substantial side effects.
NAC can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in some individuals, though these effects are rare. Starting with lower doses and gradually increasing them may help minimize this. Some report that NAC supplements have a naturally occurring sulfur smell, and if this were not present, they would question the efficacy and freshness. This odor is unpleasant but indicates that the NAC is active.
When NAC or glyNAC is taken intravenously, into the veins, an NAC overdose is possible. It can result in red blood cell breakdown, low blood platelet count, kidney failure, and possibly death. However, this concern applies only to intravenous use, not oral use at recommended doses.
GlyNAC may interact with blood thinners and chemotherapy drugs through its effect on glutathione. Other potential interactions include effects on blood pressure medications and antipsychotic drugs, particularly clozapine, which may have reduced effectiveness when combined with glycine.
Yoho comment: Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic—a fraudulent psychiatric drug that has never been tested against placebo controls and reduces lifespan by 10-20 years. See Butchered by Healthcare for the whole story. Stay away from this class of poisons.
In rare cases, NAC supplements have been associated with elevated liver enzymes. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid glyNAC because it has not been studied for them.
Excessive antioxidant use with glyNAC can theoretically induce reductive stress rather than beneficial effects. However, glyNAC lowers oxidative stress markers without decreasing them below levels seen in young adults, thus avoiding reductive stress. This suggests that glyNAC works physiologically rather than pharmacologically, supporting natural cellular processes rather than overwhelming them.
Dosing and outcomes
A teaspoon of glycine is approximately 3.3 grams, and NAC is lighter, so you need a larger volume of that. Again, to learn how much, buy a $20 digital scale HERE, zero it with your plastic teaspoon scooper on it, and then measure the weight of a full scoop.
Clinical trials use about 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day of glycine and 133 milligrams per kilogram per day of N-acetylcysteine. For a person weighing approximately 150 pounds (68 kilograms), the recommended daily dosage of NAC and glycine is approximately 9 grams and 7 grams, respectively. However, many practitioners recommend starting with lower doses to assess tolerance and response.
Some begin with 600-1,200 milligrams each of glycine and NAC daily. More aggressive protocols may use three to seven grams of each daily. Some split this into 2-3 divided doses throughout the day.
GlyNAC for 16 weeks or 24 weeks yields similar outcomes. Withdrawing GlyNAC for 12 weeks results in a loss or decrease in benefits.
A randomized controlled trial in healthy older adults tested three different daily doses for two weeks—low dose (2.4 grams), medium dose (4.8 grams), and high dose (7.2 grams) in a 1:1 ratio of glycine to NAC—and found significant improvements in glutathione levels and oxidative stress markers even in healthy individuals.
Synthesis
GlyNAC is among the most effective and inexpensive anti-aging interventions ever discovered. Memory, energy, and brain health improve. The evidence supporting the combination comes from rigorous clinical trials conducted at medical institutions, not from marketing claims. Older adults who take glyNAC experience measurable improvements in energy, strength, thinking ability, and cellular health. The safety profile is excellent.
You can take NAC and glycine in combination form or separately. They are available in capsule or powder form. NAC tastes like sulphur, so it may be hard to stomach. Read the AI search at the end, and possibly some of the references I provided for ways to overcome this. These agents are generally considered harmless, and you should learn what works for you by gradually escalating your dose and watching your results, as I did.
And yes, my sleep improved when I started taking ten grams of glycine a day alone. Since I have Parkinson’s, it is still imperfect.
Sources
An AI search I did for you
For more details or to fact-check, download and scan this AI search. It is a bit crude but has additional info about timing, benefits, quality sources, and doses lower than ten grams.
References
DownloadEditing credit: Elizabeth Cronin (thanks for your patience with this one) and Jim Arnold of Liar’s World Substack.
Restacking this post is super helpful. To do this, locate the restack icon and click or tap on it. This is a circular arrow icon usually found near the content.
To learn how to help me without spending money, read THIS.
Yoho disclaimer: You know the drill. Although I found no significant adverse effects from oral glyNAC at the discussed doses, I am telling you what I am doing, not giving you advice about your health. If the combination turns you into a werewolf, it is on you and not me.
Parting shot: too much information about TTFD thiamine, which is a marketing phenomenon and no better than other options.
I present the following as an exercise in sorting out truth from nonsense. Here is George Dinkov’s promotion about TTFD from his website, To Extract Knowledge From Matter.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction Drives Parkinson’s
Research from the University of Copenhagen shows that 90 to 95 percent of all Parkinson’s cases are caused by a blockage in a pathway that regulates the nerve cell’s powerhouse, the mitochondria. When brain cells have this specific kind of signaling blockage, the mitochondria cannot be cleaned up after being damaged. This leads to the accumulation of a high number of damaged mitochondria that are unable to produce enough energy for the cells. This causes neurons to gradually die, which is the reason for the development of Parkinson’s symptoms and why it leads to dementia.
Energy Deficiency as the Root Cause
Computational modeling by IIT Madras researchers revealed that energy deficiency may be a significant contributor to the loss of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) cells, the brain cells involved in Parkinson’s disease. These studies suggest that metabolic deficiency within the basal ganglia circuit is the common underlying factor at the subcellular, cellular, and network levels in Parkinson’s disease.
This energetic deficiency would explain both the serotonin excess seen in Parkinson’s patients and the positive effects of anti-serotonin/pro-dopamine drugs. It opens the avenue to several metabolic therapies for Parkinson’s, including reduction of endotoxin/LPS, and usage of over-the-counter substances like aspirin, niacinamide, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone/DHT, salt/baking soda, quinones (methylene blue, vitamin K, tetracyclines), and anti-estrogenic substances, among others.
Yoho comment: Dinkov is not a clinician. Progesterone supplementation for men causes heart disease, according to my hormone mentor, Neal Rouzier. Stay away from it unless you have XX chromosomes. Also, there are many reasons to avoid anti-estrogens; see Hormone Secrets.
Since GlyNAC restores mitochondrial function, reduces oxidative stress, and improves cellular energy production—the exact deficits seen in Parkinson’s disease—it may offer potential as a treatment.
I did an AI fact check on the above:
Georgi Dinkov represents a problematic pattern in online health information: someone with scientific literacy who uses real research to make unjustified therapeutic claims. He consistently commits the cardinal sin of extrapolating from mechanisms to treatments without clinical evidence.
The studies he cites are generally legitimate - the University of Copenhagen Parkinson’s research is real, the IIT Madras computational models exist, and GlyNAC research is published in peer-reviewed journals. However, his interpretation and application of these studies is deeply flawed. He takes findings like “mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in Parkinson’s” and leaps to recommending a laundry list of supplements including progesterone (which may actually harm men), DHEA, testosterone/DHT, aspirin, methylene blue, and others - none of which have clinical trial evidence for treating Parkinson’s disease.
The business model is concerning: he sells supplements through IdeaLabs while promoting them through cherry-picked research interpretations. The fact that his products are labeled as “cosmetic” rather than therapeutic is telling - it’s likely a regulatory workaround. His publication volume (a dozen articles in one day, multiple times) is also a red flag. Thoughtful analysis of complex research cannot be done at that pace. This suggests he’s prioritizing content generation over careful evaluation, which serves a marketing function rather than an educational one.
Another testimonial about Dr. Tamara
Dear Dr. Yoho,
I want to thank you so very much for the referral of Dr Tamara Santa Ana. She has a wealth of information and great understanding of the health field. She is such a kind and loving person, and it is obvious that she wants to help people heal and be healthy. I have read your books and follow your posts and Substacks with much passion. Thank you for all that you provide to the community… it is very much appreciated.
All my best, June N.
To schedule a complimentary PEMF or nutritioinal consultation, Dr. Tamara’s office is (540) 462-7750, and her email is drtsanta@protonmail.com. Alternatively, her patient scheduling app is HERE for free consultations or HERE for standard visits.
