Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine tested whether supplying the two raw materials the body uses to build glutathione, glycine and N-acetylcysteine, could reverse several markers of aging at once in a small group of older adults.
In the peer-reviewed trial, over 16 weeks, older adults taking the combination, called GlyNAC, showed restored glutathione levels, lower oxidative stress and inflammation, improved mitochondrial function, and gains in muscle strength, walking speed and six-minute walk distance, compared with those on a placebo amino acid.
The trial included only 24 older adults split between GlyNAC and placebo, and a separate small group of young adults was tested only briefly for comparison. The combination is two inexpensive, widely available supplements rather than a patented drug, and a larger, longer trial would be needed to confirm the gains hold up over time.
Read the original study
Kumar et al., Journals of Gerontology Series A, 2023 · doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glac135
Two amino acids, several markers of aging, reversed.
Source
- Kumar, P., Liu, C., Suliburk, J., Hsu, J. W., Muthupillai, R., Jahoor, F., Minard, C. G., Taffet, G. E., & Sekhar, R. V. (2023). Supplementing Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in Older Adults Improves Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Inflammation, Physical Function, and Aging Hallmarks: A Randomized Clinical Trial. The Journals of Gerontology, Series A, 78(1), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glac135