The Claim

Dietary supplementation of glycine at concentrations of 5–500 μM extends the median lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by up to 19.2% under controlled laboratory conditions, and this effect requires active methionine cycle enzymes methionine synthase (metr-1) and S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (sams-1), indicating that glycine influences aging through one-carbon metabolism.

Source: Glycine promotes longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans in a methionine cycle-dependent fashion

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
14score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

How it works
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Adding glycine to the diet of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans at concentrations between 5 and 500 micromolar increases its median lifespan by up to 19.2% in laboratory settings, and this increase depends on the function of two specific enzymes involved in one-carbon metabolism.

See the scientific wording

Dietary supplementation of glycine at concentrations of 5–500 μM extends the median lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by up to 19.2% under controlled laboratory conditions, and this effect requires active methionine cycle enzymes methionine synthase (metr-1) and S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (sams-1), suggesting glycine influences aging through one-carbon metabolism.

Why this might work

Glycine enters the cell and is broken down to provide a carbon unit that helps make a molecule called SAM. SAM adds methyl groups to DNA-packaging proteins, turning off genes that drive growth and development. When these genes are turned off, aging slows down and the organism lives longer.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Glycine promotes longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans in a methionine cycle-dependent fashion

    Adding a tiny amount of glycine to worm food made them live almost 20% longer, but only if their body’s methylation machinery was working — meaning glycine helps them age slower by boosting a specific metabolic pathway.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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