The Role of Amino Acid Glycine on Cardiovascular Health and Its Beneficial Effects: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Glycine, a simple amino acid, is not only essential due to its potential insufficiency in vivo, but also has significant metabolic functions. It serves as a crucial building block for proteins. At the same time, as a bioactive molecule, it regulates gene expression for cytoprotection, protein configuration and activity, and other critical biological processes, including glutathione synthesis. The intriguing, beneficial effects of glycine in medical applications have piqued the research community’s interest in recent decades. This work delves into the compelling discoveries about the pivotal role of glycine in cardiovascular health and its intricate mechanisms of action for alleviating several medical conditions. Glycine’s broad spectrum of impact spans numerous diseases, encompassing not only acute myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, and cardiac hypertrophy, but also transplant rejections of aortic allografts, insulin resistance, and endothelial dysfunction, thereby providing a comprehensive understanding of its medical applications.