Getting IV therapy in Toronto could promote health advantages – especially when you use a combination of ingredients.

Proteins in the human body are constructed with amino acid building blocks. Glycine is one amino acid that the body needs for tissue repair, muscle health, cognitive support, chemical reactions, and to make important constituents, such as hormones and enzymes. Unlike essential amino acids (i.e. tryptophan), this one is non-essential; your body has the ability to make minimal amounts, but supplementation might provide further beneficial effects.

At our IV clinic, it can be a key ingredient in your therapy drip when it’s combined with other amino acids. Prior to your first IV nutrient therapy session, a complete diagnostic consult is required to determine which nutrients might be suitable for you. With that, the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre explains how IV therapy with amino acids and glycine could promote optimal health.

Beneficial effects on physical performance, sleep quality, and more

An amalgamation of IV amino acids and glycine could encourage physical and mental gains, such as these:

1. Could promote athletic recovery: Glycine might support muscle mass and promote the production of creatine. This is necessary for elevating muscle health because creatine encourages muscle/tissue repair and growth, especially when training for a physical performance. 
2. Might contribute to improving bone health in arthritis patients:  Collagen helps renew joint cartilage in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients. However, “Collagen synthesis is severely diminished in osteoarthritis; thus, enhancing it may help the regeneration of cartilage. This requires large amounts of glycine, proline and lysine,” explains a piece from the journal Amino Acids.
3. Has the potential to alleviate insomnia: If your mind is racing, know that this amino acid might help you sleep. It can boost serotonin levels, which could lessen the worried thoughts you might have at night. Not to mention, another study has proven that it could improve sleep quality, while enhancing cognitive function for daytime mental performance. 
4. Might prevent or impede the onset of cardiovascular disease: Glycine might reduce your risk of heart disease due to its anti-inflammatory properties; it might also prevent or delay cellular damage because it acts as an anti-inflammatory. Thus, scientists have considered the link between heart disease and this amino acid. For instance, during a study in 2015, researchers considered glycine plasma levels and their connection to heart attacks. The study’s participants consisted of 4,109 people who underwent elective coronary angiography to identify stable angina. Patients with ideal plasma glycine amounts tended to have a lowered risk of heart attack and an optimistic profile regarding heart disease risk.
5. Could lessen liver injuries due to alcohol: If you’re being treated for alcohol withdrawal symptoms or need help in your process of recovery, this amino acid, taken orally and/or combined with IV treatments, may be used as an adjunctive support. “Glycine minimizes alcohol-induced liver injury … by preventing ethanol from reaching the liver by activating first-pass metabolism in the stomach,” declares a study in Gastroenterology. 

At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, IV glycine is blended with a medley of amino acids in therapeutic doses. Intravenous drips ensure you receive a complete absorption of nutrients and might prevent unwanted side effects (i.e. cramping), while fighting oxidative stress.

If you’re reevaluating your health goals, ask yourself this: how can IV nutrient therapy contribute to your optimal functioning? Let’s find out – become a new patient at our clinic today.

Learn about our functional medicine treatments and IV vitamin drips

Our functional medicine programs and treatments are designed to help tackle the root cause of your health concern. We take into account each patient’s individuality, so environmental factors, lifestyle, genetics and health history are all considered for improving your wellness.

Empowerment is central to achieving optimal health. Patients are inspired to collaborate with functional medicine providers in creating treatment plans. Our integrative therapies might help chronic pain, acute pain, lack of energy, DNA repair, autoimmune disease, adrenal function, blood pressure issues, thyroid conditions, age-related diseases/premature aging, and other health issues.

Customizing vitamin drip treatments is a personalized service we’re proud to offer. Vitamin drip therapy contains safe ingredients and naturally improves your nutrient absorption rate. Our intravenous drips can include beneficial ingredients, such as high-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid), glutamic acid, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), histidine, and more. Take note: prior to your first IV therapy drip, a 30-45 minute consultation is mandatory. This session helps us determine which nutrients should be added to your compounded IV therapy drip, if you have allergies to the IV contents, and to answer further questions.

Do you need help accomplishing your health goals? The Toronto Functional Medicine Centre is welcoming new patients – let’s get to know you, too! Click here to reach us for your initial consultation regarding IV therapy in Toronto.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

References:

Bannai M, Kawai N, Ono K, Nakahara K, Murakami N. The effects of glycine on subjective daytime performance in partially sleep-restricted healthy volunteers. Front Neurol. 2012 Apr 18;3:61. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2012.00061. PMID: 22529837; PMCID: PMC3328957.

Bello AE, Oesser S. Collagen hydrolysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint disorders: a review of the literature. Curr Med Res Opin. 2006 Nov;22(11):2221-32. doi: 10.1185/030079906X148373. PMID: 17076983.

de Paz-Lugo P, Lupiáñez JA, Meléndez-Hevia E. High glycine concentration increases collagen synthesis by articular chondrocytes in vitro: acute glycine deficiency could be an important cause of osteoarthritis. Amino Acids. 2018 Oct;50(10):1357-1365. doi: 10.1007/s00726-018-2611-x. Epub 2018 Jul 13. PMID: 30006659; PMCID: PMC6153947.

Ding Y, Svingen GF, Pedersen ER, Gregory JF, Ueland PM, Tell GS, Nygård OK. Plasma Glycine and Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Suspected Stable Angina Pectoris. J Am Heart Assoc. 2015 Dec 31;5(1):e002621. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.115.002621. PMID: 26722126; PMCID: PMC4859380.

El Hafidi M, Pérez I, Baños G. Is glycine effective against elevated blood pressure? Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2006 Jan;9(1):26-31. doi: 10.1097/01.mco.0000196143.72985.9a. PMID: 16444815.

Enrique Meléndez-Hevia, Patricia de Paz-Lugo, Guillermo Sánchez, Glycine can prevent and fight virus invasiveness by reinforcing the extracellular matrix, Journal of Functional Foods, Volume 76, 2021,104318, ISSN 1756-4646, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2020.104318.

Iimuro Y, Bradford BU, Forman DT, Thurman RG. Glycine prevents alcohol-induced liver injury by decreasing alcohol in the rat stomach. Gastroenterology. 1996 May;110(5):1536-42. doi: 10.1053/gast.1996.v110.pm8613061. PMID: 8613061.

“Top 9 Benefits and Uses of Glycine” for Healthline, by Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD, updated on December 12, 2018, viewed on Sept. 17, 2022.

“What is Glycine?” News Medical Life Sciences, By Lois Zoppi, B.A., Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc., viewed on September 18, 2022.

“What Is Glycine?” VeryWell Health, By James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, MD, Updated on September 02, 2022, Medically reviewed by Violetta Shamilova, PharmD, viewed on September 18, 2022.

Zhong Z, Wheeler MD, Li X, Froh M, Schemmer P, Yin M, Bunzendaul H, Bradford B, Lemasters JJ. L-Glycine: a novel antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, and cytoprotective agent. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2003 Mar;6(2):229-40. doi: 10.1097/00075197-200303000-00013. PMID: 12589194.