Amino Acid Glycine   Amino acid glycine is a protein amino acid that can be found in the protein of all life forms and is important in the body’s construction of proteins. Amino acid Glycine is the simplest amino acid in the body that is not optically active. In contrast to other amino acids, glycine stays the most common amino acid found in both enzymes and proteins. Although most amino acid glycine is found in proteins, free glycine is found in body fluids as well as in plants. It is estimated that the normal diet contributes two grams of glycine daily. Since amino acid glycine can be sufficiently produced by the body to meet physiological requirements, it is considered a nonessential amino acid. However, it is of key importance in the synthesis of proteins, purines, peptides, nucleic acids, porphyrins, hemoglobin, creatine, glucose, one-carbon fragments, L-serine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and other amino acids. Amino acid Glycine performs as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and spinal cord. It plays vital roles in the method of prevention for muscular degeneration, repair of damaged tissues located throughout the body, and improvement of glycogen storage. Glycine is an important amino acid because if needed, it will synthesize and convert from serine and threonine to fulfill its physiological processes. Glycine is a solid water-soluble substance that has a sweetish taste and is also known as amino acetic acid, glycocoll, sucre de gelatine, and aminoethanolic acid. Its one-letter abbreviation when spelling out protein structures is G and its IUPAC abbreviation is Gly. Glycine can also be found in natural food sources. Natural food sources containing high amounts of glycine includes fish, beans, dairy products, and meats. Here are food sources of glycine that are based on a serving size of 100 g and the amount of glycine contained is expressed in milligrams: Vegetable Products Seaweed, spirulina (dried) 3100 mg Nut and Seed Products Seeds, cottonseed meal (partially defatted, glandless) 2380 mg Seeds, sunflower seed flour (partially defatted) 3080 mg Seeds, sesame flour (low-fat) 3430 mg Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels (roasted without salt) 2410 mg Legume Products Soy protein concentrate (produced by alcohol extraction) 2690 mg Peanut flour (defatted) 3150 mg Soy protein isolate (potassium type) 3600mg Soy protein concentrate (produced by acid wash) 2690 mg Soy protein isolate 3600 mg Shellfish and Finfish Products Fish, cod, Atlantic (dried and salted) 3010 mg Poultry Products Chicken, broilers or fryers, skin only (cooked, roasted) 3250 mg Turkey, all classes, skin only (cooked, roasted) 3140mg Turkey, young tom, skin only (cooked, roasted) 3210 mg Beef Products Beef, cured, breakfast strips (cooked) 2610 mg Pork Products Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, ears, frozen (Cooked, simmered) 3140 mg Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, ears, frozen (raw) 4400 mg Veal, Lamb, and Game Products Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver (cooked, braised calf liver) 2290 mg Luncheon Meats and Sausages Beef, cured, corned beef, canned 2260 mg Egg and Dairy Products Egg, white (dried) 2840 mg Snacks Snacks, pork skins (plain) 11900 mg Sweets Gelatins, dry powder (unsweetened) 19100 mg Beverages Gelatin, drinking, orange flavor (powder) 9670 mg Read also:  Sulphur Containing Amino Acids  Non-Essential Amino Acids List of Foods High in Amino Acids  Liquid Amino Acids  Amino Acids for Heavy Metal