Every ingredient has a story.
Some begin in a laboratory. Others in a rainforest or a remote mountain range. Glycine's story begins much earlier before plants, before animals and perhaps even before life itself.
Imagine Earth four billion years ago. There were no forests, no birds and no oxygen-rich atmosphere. Volcanoes dominated the landscape, lightning illuminated a chemically active sky and vast oceans contained the ingredients from which the first living systems would eventually emerge. Somewhere within this hostile environment, chemistry slowly became biology.
Scientists still debate exactly how life began, but one molecule keeps appearing whenever they try to recreate those first moments: glycine.
As the simplest of all amino acids, glycine forms readily under prebiotic conditions. It was one of the amino acids produced in the famous Miller–Urey experiment in 1953, which simulated the chemistry of the early Earth.1 Glycine has also been identified in carbonaceous meteorites, suggesting that some of life's molecular building blocks were already travelling through the Solar System long before the first living cell appeared on our planet.2
Whether glycine was the first amino acid is impossible to know. What we can say is that it is one of the strongest candidates for being among the earliest amino acids available when life emerged.
That makes glycine more than just another nutrient. It is one of the oldest recurring characters in the story of biology.
Evolution Never Let It Go
Evolution is remarkably economical. Molecules that serve no useful purpose tend to disappear over time. Glycine did the opposite.
As life became more complex, this tiny amino acid kept acquiring new responsibilities. Today it participates in hundreds of biochemical reactions throughout the body, contributing to processes that are so fundamental we rarely stop to think about them.3,4
Glycine helps build proteins, supports the production of glutathione, contributes to haem synthesis, purines, bile salts, neurotransmission and intestinal barrier integrity.3,4
For such a small molecule, it has accumulated an astonishing number of jobs.
The Protein That Holds Us Together
If evolution had to choose one place to use glycine over and over again, it chose collagen.
Every third amino acid in collagen is glycine.6
This is not a coincidence. Glycine's compact structure allows the collagen triple helix to assemble correctly. Collagen provides the structural framework of skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bone, blood vessels and many other connective tissues. One third of that scaffolding is built from glycine.
"Non-essential" Doesn't Always Mean "Enough"
Glycine is traditionally classified as a non-essential amino acid because our bodies can synthesise it.
Glycine contributes to collagen synthesis, glutathione production, one-carbon metabolism, neurotransmission, immune regulation and cellular energy metabolism.3,4
During ageing, tissue repair or increased collagen turnover, endogenous production may not be sufficient to meet physiological demand.4,5 Some researchers have therefore proposed that glycine should be considered conditionally essential in these circumstances.5
More Than a Collagen Story
Most people encounter glycine through collagen supplements, but that is only part of the story.
Glycine sits at the intersection of structure and function. It supports connective tissues while also contributing to antioxidant defence, sleep physiology and fundamental metabolic pathways.3,4
Four billion years later, that same philosophy shaped how we designed Collagen Pro.
Rather than focusing only on collagen peptides, we started with the amino acids collagen is actually made of: Glycine. Proline. Lysine.
They don't simply build collagen. They help support the biology that makes collagen and much more possible.3,4
That is why Collagen Pro was designed around free amino acids. We don't just ask what an ingredient builds. We ask what else it has been doing for the last four billion years.
References
1. Miller SL. Science. 1953;117:528–529. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.117.3046.528
2. Kvenvolden K et al. Nature. 1970;228:923–926. https://doi.org/10.1038/228923a0
3. Wu G. Amino Acids. 2009;37:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-009-0269-0
4. Wang W et al. Amino Acids. 2013;45:463–477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-013-1493-1
5. Meléndez-Hevia E et al. Journal of Biosciences. 2009;34:853–872. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-009-0100-9
6. Shoulders MD, Raines RT. Annual Review of Biochemistry. 2009;78:929–958. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.biochem.77.032207.120833
“I didn't create Vivana to be perfect. I created it because I wanted to live better. Not later, not when things calm down, but now.”
Anne-Gaëlle started Vivana at 50, not as a reinvention, but as a continuation. A pharmacist with over 25 years of experience, she built Vivana at the intersection of science and exploration.
Rooted in evidence-based physiology and shaped by lived experience, Vivana is a systems-based approach to resilience, clarity and vitality.
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This article is for educational and informational purposes only. Food supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The statements in this article reflect research findings and do not constitute authorised health claims. If you are experiencing significant mood, cognitive or hormonal symptoms, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
