Glutamine: Benefits for Gut Health and Recovery, How to Use It, Dosage, and Safety
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in human blood. Your body makes it, and you also get it from protein-rich foods. Under stress—hard training, illness, injury, or surgery—your demand for glutamine rises, which is why it’s called a “conditionally essential” amino acid. In cells lining the gut and in immune cells, glutamine is a preferred fuel and a...
Glutathione: Benefits for Skin and Immunity, Forms to Use, Dosage, and Safety
Glutathione (often shortened to GSH) is your body’s primary intracellular antioxidant and a central player in detoxification, immune balance, and cellular repair. Made from glutamate, cysteine, and glycine, it works around the clock to neutralize reactive oxygen species, recycle vitamins C and E, and escort toxins out through the liver. Many people explore glutathione to support healthy aging, exercise...
Glycerol monostearate: Uses in Sports and Nutrition, Evidence-Based Benefits, Dosing Guidelines, and Side Effects
Glycerol monostearate (GMS) is a food-grade emulsifier that also shows up in pre-workout powders and hydration stacks. In foods, it keeps oil and water mixed; in supplements, it’s marketed for “cell hydration” and muscle “pump.” The science is more nuanced. GMS is a monoglyceride: one glycerol molecule bound to stearic acid. Your body can digest it, releasing free glycerol...
Glycerol: What It Is, Evidence-Based Benefits, How to Use, and Safety Tips
Glycerol—also called glycerin—is a simple, water-loving molecule found naturally in fats and oils and made by your body during normal metabolism. In supplements and sports nutrition, glycerol’s appeal is practical: it draws water into body fluids, helping you start exercise better hydrated, maintain plasma volume longer, and feel a firmer “cell volumizing” muscle pump. Research in endurance and heat...
Glycerophosphocholine: Brain Benefits, How to Use It, Dosage, and Safety
Glycerophosphocholine (often called alpha-GPC or choline alphoscerate) is a bioavailable choline compound used to support brain function and, increasingly, athletic performance. In the body, it donates choline—an essential nutrient your neurons use to make acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter tied to attention, memory, and muscle activation. Compared with common choline salts, glycerophosphocholine is well absorbed and crosses the blood–brain barrier efficiently....
Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine: Health Benefits, How It Works, Optimal Dosage, and Safety
Glycine propionyl-L-carnitine (often shortened to GPLC) is a bonded form of propionyl-L-carnitine and the amino acid glycine. It is marketed to support blood flow, exercise performance, and recovery by influencing nitric oxide (NO) biology and cellular energy metabolism. Early laboratory and small human studies found increases in NO-related metabolites and shifts in oxidative stress markers, while larger trials have...
Glycine: Proven Sleep Benefits, Metabolic Support, Practical Uses, Dosage, and Safety
Glycine is the simplest amino acid—and one of the most versatile. Your body makes it, and you also get it from protein-rich foods and collagen. In cells, glycine helps build proteins, fuels glutathione (a frontline antioxidant), and acts as a neurotransmitter that can calm or excite depending on the receptor it binds. As a supplement, glycine is best known...
Glycolic acid: Skin Benefits, How It Works, Best Uses, Dosage, and Safety
Glycolic acid is the smallest alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), prized for its ability to smooth texture, brighten uneven tone, and soften fine lines with consistent use. Because of its tiny molecular size and water solubility, it penetrates quickly and loosens the “glue” between dead skin cells, improving natural exfoliation. In over-the-counter skincare, you’ll see it in toners, serums, and...
Glycomacropeptide: Evidence-Based Benefits for PKU and Gut Health, How to Use It, Dosage, and Side Effects
Glycomacropeptide (GMP) is a bioactive peptide segment released from milk κ-casein during cheesemaking. Thanks to its distinctive composition—naturally low in phenylalanine and rich in sialylated sugars—it has attracted attention as a specialized protein source for people with phenylketonuria (PKU) and as a potential gut-friendly functional ingredient. GMP is available as stand-alone powders, as part of whey protein blends, and—most...
Glycyrrhetinic acid: Skin Benefits, How to Use, Recommended Dosage, and Safety
Glycyrrhetinic acid is the principal active metabolite formed when the sweet-tasting compound in licorice (glycyrrhizin) is broken down. In skincare and topical medicines, it is valued for soothing redness, calming itch, and supporting barrier recovery. Inside the body, however, this same molecule can influence hormone pathways that regulate salt and water balance. That dual story—useful on skin, potentially risky...
Glycyrrhiza glabra: Evidence-Based Uses, Recommended Dosage, Side Effects, and Interactions
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has a long record in traditional medicine and modern products alike—from soothing lozenges and digestive teas to cosmetic gels for sensitive skin. Its signature constituents, glycyrrhizin (a sweet-tasting saponin) and its active metabolite glycyrrhetinic acid, help explain both its benefits and its risks. Topically, licorice derivatives can calm visible redness and support barrier comfort. Orally,...
Glycyrrhizic acid: Digestive Relief, Cough Soothing, Daily Limits, and Safety Precautions
Glycyrrhizic acid—often listed on labels as glycyrrhizin or ammonium glycyrrhizate—is the signature sweet compound in licorice root. It is hundreds of times sweeter than sucrose, and it is found in herbal teas, cough syrups and lozenges, candies, traditional formulas, and some cosmetic and oral care products. Interest in glycyrrhizic acid spans soothing effects for the throat and stomach, flavoring...
Gnetum gnemon extract: Uric Acid Support, Metabolic Benefits, How to Use, and Side Effects
Gnetum gnemon—better known as melinjo in Southeast Asia—is a food plant whose seeds, skins, and leaves have long been eaten and brewed. Modern extracts concentrate its stilbenoid polyphenols, especially gnetin C (a dimer of resveratrol), alongside related glucosides. Interest in Gnetum gnemon seed extract has grown because it appears to influence uric acid handling, adiponectin biology, and markers tied...
Goa powder: Evidence-Based Benefits for Plaque Psoriasis, Application Steps, Dosing, and Safety
Goa powder—also known as araroba powder—is a botanical preparation historically used on stubborn skin plaques. Its activity comes from chrysarobin, a natural anthracene derivative that calms overactive skin cell turnover. Today, pure Goa powder is uncommon outside specialist or historical contexts; modern dermatology favors the synthetic analog anthralin (dithranol), which delivers similar effects with standardized strength and better control....
Goat colostrum: Immune Benefits, Gut Support, How to Use, Dosage, and Safety
: Benefits, Properties, Uses, Dosage, and Side Effects Explained Goat colostrum is the first milk goats produce in the hours after birth. It’s naturally concentrated with immune proteins (like IgG and lactoferrin), growth factors, and bioactive peptides that help newborn kids survive—and these same compounds are the reason adults are curious about colostrum as a supplement. Early research (mostly with...
Goat placenta extract: Skin Hydration Benefits, Uses for Beauty and Wellness, Dosage, and Risks
Goat placenta extract sits at the intersection of traditional remedies and modern “nutricosmetics.” Marketed for skin hydration, elasticity, and overall vitality, it is made from the afterbirth of goats and processed into powders, capsules, liquids, or topical serums. Placental tissues naturally contain peptides, amino acids, and growth-factor–like molecules. While these features sound promising, the actual human evidence for goat-derived...
Goat whey protein: Benefits for Recovery, How Much per Day, Meal Timing, and Risks
Goat whey protein is a fast-digesting, high-quality protein derived from the liquid by-product of goat cheese making. It concentrates essential amino acids—especially leucine—that drive muscle protein synthesis, support recovery after exercise, and help preserve lean mass during weight loss or aging. Compared with cow-derived whey, goat whey tends to be easier to tolerate for some people and offers a...
Goat’s rue: Metabolic Properties, Best Ways to Take It, Dosage Examples, and Safety Considerations
Goat’s rue (Galega officinalis) is a traditional European herb used for two main reasons today: supporting milk supply during breastfeeding and assisting metabolic balance. Its leaves and flowering tops contain guanidine derivatives—most notably galegine—that can lower blood glucose in laboratory settings. Modern interest also stems from history: research on goat’s rue guided the eventual development of metformin, a first-line...
Goji berry extract: Evidence-Based Benefits for Vision and Immunity, How Much to Take, and Safety Considerations
Goji berry extract is a concentrated preparation from the fruit of Lycium barbarum or Lycium chinense, long used in East Asian food and herbal traditions. Modern extracts typically focus on two families of actives: Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) and carotenoids—especially zeaxanthin dipalmitate—linked to antioxidant, immune, and vision-supportive effects. Unlike dried berries or juice, standardized extracts deliver a predictable amount...
Golden ragwort: What It Is, Claimed Benefits, How to Take It, and Safety Considerations
Golden ragwort (Packera aurea, formerly Senecio aureus) is a spring-blooming wildflower native to eastern North America. In folk medicine it was brewed or tinctured for menstrual discomfort, childbirth support, and minor wounds. Today it’s more often planted for pollinators than taken as a supplement—and for good reason. Like many members of the ragwort tribe (Senecioneae), golden ragwort naturally produces...
Goldenrod: Urinary Tract Support, Evidence, Dosage, and Side Effects
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), especially European goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea), is a traditional herbal remedy most often used to support urinary tract comfort. Herbalists value it for mild diuretic action (helping you pass more urine), soothing properties for bladder irritation, and supportive use during kidney stone prevention plans. Some people also use goldenrod topically for minor aches or skin care, and...
Goldthread benefits and berberine science: metabolic support, digestive uses, dosage, and safety explained
Goldthread (chiefly the rhizome of Coptis species, often sold as the TCM herb Huang Lian) is a powerfully bitter botanical prized for calming “heat” and dampness in traditional medicine—usually code for irritated, inflamed, or infected tissues. Modern analysis points to protoberberine alkaloids—especially berberine—as its signature compounds. These have been studied for antimicrobial action in the gut, support for metabolic...
Gonadorelin for fertility and hormone testing: benefits, pulsatile therapy, dosage, and safety
Gonadorelin is the pharmaceutical form of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the tiny hypothalamic peptide that naturally triggers the pituitary to release luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Clinically, it’s used in two very different ways: as a single diagnostic dose to test the pituitary’s ability to respond, and as pulsatile therapy delivered by a small pump to restore physiologic...
Gonadotropin: Uses for Fertility, Evidence-Based Dosing, Risks, and Side Effects
Gonadotropins are prescription hormones that directly stimulate the ovaries and testes. In women, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) drive follicle growth and ovulation. In men, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) acts like LH to raise intratesticular testosterone, and FSH supports Sertoli cells for sperm production. Clinically, gonadotropins are used to induce ovulation in anovulatory cycles, optimize oocyte yield...