Sep17
The Glycine Masterclass, with Dr. Joel Brind
What if the most overlooked nutrient in your diet isn't a vitamin or a mineral, but a simple amino acid your body already makes?
In this episode of the ReThink Health Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Joel Brind, a biochemist with over 50 years in medical research and the author of The Glycine Miracle.
Dr. Brind has spent nearly two decades studying glycine, and he makes the case that this "nonessential" amino acid may actually be the body's primary regulator of inflammation. Unfortunately, most of us are falling short by as much as 10 grams a day… which translates to a shockingly wide range of health problems today.
You’ll learn:
- Why glycine is technically "nonessential," and why your body likely can't make nearly enough of it on its own
- Why meat eaters surprisingly have less glycine in their blood than vegans
- How glycine acts as a molecular gatekeeper, controlling whether immune cells stay calm or launch a full inflammatory response
- Which modern eating habits may be driving a glycine deficiency
- Why higher natural glycine levels translate to a lower risk of major cardiac events
- New research on how restoring glycine to aging cells can reverse markers of mitochondrial aging
- Why Dr. Brind believes chronic, unresolved inflammation after everyday injuries like sunburns or sprains isn't actually "normal"
- The difference between getting glycine from food, collagen, magnesium glycinate, or a standalone supplement, and what each does and doesn't provide
- Practical, everyday ways to close the "glycine gap" without overhauling your entire diet
If you've ever wondered why nagging aches, poor sleep, or slow recovery seem to be your "normal," this conversation offers a compelling, science-backed reason why they might not have to be.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube.
Prefer audio? Listen below or on Spotify & Apple iTunes Podcasts.
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About Dr. Joel Brind
Joel Brind, PhD, is a biochemist with more than 50 years of experience in medical research. He graduated from Yale College in 1971 and earned his doctorate in Basic Medical Sciences from New York University in 1981, specializing in biochemistry, physiology, and immunology. From 1986 until his retirement in 2020, he was a professor of human biology and endocrinology at Baruch College of the City University of New York.
Since 2007, Dr. Brind has focused his research on amino acid metabolism in the context of nutrition and aging, with particular attention to glycine's role as a regulator of inflammation. In 2010, he founded Natural Food Science, LLC, which makes and markets the glycine supplement Sweetamine, based on his research into glycine as both an essential nutrient and a key modulator of the body's inflammatory response. In 2024, Dr. Brind published The Glycine Miracle: The Science of Living Long and Free From Inflammation, available on Amazon.
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