The Science Behind Our Formulas

Magnesium, Taurate, Glycinate

GLYCINE

The most abundant amino acid in collagen formation. Supplementation may help regenerate cartilage helping to prevent or contribute to the treatment of osteoarthritis1. And potential benefits to ageing skin2.

 Glycine has a calming effect on the brain and also lowers core body temperature to aid in sleeping3, but may also reduce daytime tiredness and improve memory tasks4. 

Glycine is required for the production of glutathione, an important antioxidant to protect against free radical damage, and glutathione has its own liver detoxification pathway. Glutathione levels decrease with age, so increasing glycine intake may lessen the decrease of glutathione5. 

Glycine supplementation may reduce inflammation by decreasing proinflammatory cytokines6. 

Both glycine and taurine bind to glycine receptors which control neurotransmitter release, therefore having potential benefits for depression and anxiety7.

TAURINE

Taurine and glycine work together in the liver to support the breakdown and clearance of cholesterol by promoting its conversion into bile acids⁸⁹. These two amino acids are the primary conjugators of bile acids, forming taurine- and glycine-conjugated bile salts that are crucial for cholesterol elimination. Observational data in over 4,100 patients with suspected stable angina show that higher plasma glycine is associated with a favourable lipid profile—including lower LDL cholesterol—as well as reduced prevalence of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and systemic inflammation10.          

Levels of taurine are high in the retina, but lower with age. Taurine plays a vital protective role in the retina, where it is present in high concentrations, particularly in photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells. Supplementation with taurine may help slow the progression of degenerative retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by counteracting oxidative stress, a major driver of retinal damage. It supports antioxidant defences—boosting glutathione and key enzymes like superoxide dismutase—while reducing harmful lipid peroxidation. Taurine also helps regulate immune responses, stabilise intracellular calcium, and protect mitochondria from dysfunction and apoptosis—mechanisms that are thought to support the integrity of retinal cells over time.11,12.

In type 2 diabetes patients, taurine plasma levels can be around 25% lower than non-diabetic subjects, and supplementation was found to significantly reduce fasting glucose and HbA1c (amount of glucose attached to red blood cells), and HOMA-IR (measure of insulin resistance)13.

Taurine helps regulate intracellular calcium levels which may lower anxiety14.       

Disruption or overactivation of glutamate signaling is a key factor in neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration associated with dementia.¹⁶ Taurine supplementation appears to enhance glutamatergic signaling in Alzheimer’s disease, helping to regulate excitatory neurotransmission and potentially protect against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity.¹⁵ In simple terms, taurine may help balance brain signals that can become overactive in Alzheimer’s, reducing stress on brain cells and protecting them from damage.

50 population samples from 22 countries found higher taurine levels associated with less obesity, lower cholesterol and blood pressure17.

Taurine may improve bone density through calcium regulation and increased absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin D and Vitamin K. This is due to increased bile acid production18.

Cardiovascular health is one of the best-known benefits of taurine. Its benefits are in ion channel regulation, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive and anti-atherosclerotic properties19,20.

Taurine has received a lot of publicity for possible benefits to longevity and more importantly healthy lifespan. In middle aged mice, taurine supplementation improved the function of every organ investigated21. Taurine also helped suppress senescence (deterioration of function through age). This may be due to suppression of DNA damage, improved autophagy, cellular regeneration through increase in stem cells and improved mitochondrial (energy production) health21.

Vitamin D3, Magnesium, Zinc, Boron, K2 (Menaquinone-7)

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is well known for its benefit to our bones and immune system, but it has many other interesting benefits. Research suggests it may have potential beneficial effects on dementia, with a recent (2023) study finding vitamin D exposure versus non exposure reduced dementia risk by 40%20,21. Having low vitamin D levels appears to increase the risk of depression22. It also plays a role in gut bacteria modulation and intestinal barrier permeability23. During pregnancy 4000iu of vitamin D had the best results at significantly reducing pregnancy complications compared to lower doses without a single adverse event24,25.

MAGNESIUM

A study found 79% of US adults fail to meet the RDA of magnesium1 and the UK is likely similar. Magnesium is required for vitamin D activation2, but is becoming more and more deficient in our diets as soils become depleted over time and food processing reduces even further3.

Without adequate magnesium, vitamin D status may not improve, even with supplementation4.

Important to consider, vitamin D uses magnesium for activation, it seems wise not to deplete the body’s stores further by not including it in the vitamin D formula.

ZINC

Vitamin D increases calcium absorption,⁵ and this relies on zinc-dependent receptors that facilitate calcium transport.⁶

Zinc is needed to activate vitamin D receptors, without enough zinc, vitamin D-dependent gene activity is impaired, reducing the function of vitamin D in the body7, even if vitamin D levels are adequate in the body.

Vitamin D controls zinc homeostasis by regulating transporters to manage cellular and extracellular zinc levels8. Low zinc levels are associated with low vitamin D levels9 and supplementing zinc has been shown to raise vitamin D levels independent of vitamin D supplementation10. You may be starting to understand why we put synergy in the name of our product. These compounds work together and therefore it’s probably wise to take them together.

BORON

Studies indicate boron significantly increases magnesium absorption and helps maintain adequate bone density12. It also markedly reduces calcium, phosphorus and magnesium loss in urine, with calcium loss reduced by over 40%13.

Boron regulates vitamin D levels in the body and even under conditions of vitamin D deficiency appears to reduce the consequences of deficiency by increasing serum concentration of vitamin D and increasing its half-life14.

Boron has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and research points to reduced pain in osteoarthritis15. Just as an added bonus, supplementing boron has been shown to improve memory tasks and enhance hand eye coordination16.

K2

As vitamin D increases calcium absorption17, it is important to make sure that the extra calcium goes where it is meant to go rather than depositing in our arteries. K2 helps to regulate calcium to put it where it’s meant to go, reducing its deposition in vessel walls and increasing its absorption into bones19.

 

References –
GLYCINE & Taurate

  1. de Paz-Lugo, Patricia et al. “High glycine concentration increases collagen synthesis by articular chondrocytes in vitro: acute glycine deficiency could be an important cause of osteoarthritis.” Amino acids vol. 50,10 (2018): 1357-1365. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6153947/
  2. Al-Atif, Hend. “Collagen Supplements for Aging and Wrinkles: A Paradigm Shift in the Fields of Dermatology and Cosmetics.” Dermatology practical & conceptual vol. 12,1 e2022018. 1 Jan. 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8824545/ 
  3. Kawai, Nobuhiro et al. “The sleep-promoting and hypothermic effects of glycine are mediated by NMDA receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus.” Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology vol. 40,6 (2015): 1405-16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25533534/
  4. Yamadera, W., Inagawa, K., Chiba, S. et al. Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality in human volunteers, correlating with polysomnographic changes. Sleep Biol. Rhythms 5, 126–131 (2007). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x
  5. El-Hafidi, Mohammed et al. “Glycine Increases Insulin Sensitivity and Glutathione Biosynthesis and Protects against Oxidative Stress in a Model of Sucrose-Induced Insulin Resistance.” Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity vol. 2018 2101562. 21 Feb. 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5841105/
  6. Soh, Janjira et al. “The effect of glycine administration on the characteristics of physiological systems in human adults: A systematic review.” GeroScience vol. 46,1 (2024): 219-239. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5841105/
  7. Laboute, Thibaut et al. “Orphan receptor GPR158 serves as a metabotropic glycine receptor: mGlyR.” Science (New York, N.Y.) vol. 379,6639 (2023): 1352-1358. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add7150
  8. Tagawa, Ryoma et al. “Long-Term Dietary Taurine Lowers Plasma Levels of Cholesterol and Bile Acids.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 23,3 1793. 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/3/1793
  9. Nagana Gowda et al. “Bile acids conjugation in human bile is not random: new insights from (1)H-NMR spectroscopy at 800 MHz.” Lipids vol. 44,6 (2009): 527-35. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5459358/
  10. Ding Y et al. “Plasma Glycine and Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Suspected Stable Angina Pectoris.” Journal of the American Heart Association vol. 5,1 e002621. 31 Dec. 2015, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26722126/
  11. García-Ayuso D. et al. “Taurine: a promising nutraceutic in the prevention of retinal degeneration”. Neural Regeneration Research 19(3):p 606-610, March 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10581579/
  12. Castelli V. et al. “Taurine and oxidative stress in retinal health and disease.” CNS neuroscience & therapeutics vol. 27,4 (2021): 403-412. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7941169/
  13. Xiaomei Tao et al. “The effects of taurine supplementation on diabetes mellitus in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Food chemistry. Molecular sciences vol. 4 100106. 21 Mar. 2022, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35769396/
  14. Chen W. Q. et al, (2001). Role of taurine in regulation of intracellular calcium level and neuroprotective function in cultured neurons. Journal of Neuroscience Research. 66. 612 – 619. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jnr.10027
  15. Kornbuber, J., Wiltfang, J. (1998). The role of glutamate in dementia. In: Jellinger, K., Fazekas, F., Windisch, M. (eds) Ageing and Dementia. Journal of Neural Transmission. Supplementa, vol 53. Springer, Vienna. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-7091-6467-9_24
  16. Oh, Se Jong et al. “Evaluation of the neuroprotective effect of taurine in Alzheimer’s disease using functional molecular imaging.” Scientific reports vol. 10,1 15551. 23 Sep. 2020, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32968166/
  17. Sagara M, Murakami S, Mizushima S, Liu L, Mori M, Ikeda K, Nara Y, Yamori Y. Taurine in 24-h Urine Samples Is Inversely Related to Cardiovascular Risks of Middle Aged Subjects in 50 Populations of the World. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2015;803:623-36. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25833532/
  18. Berry, Thomas M, and Ahmed A Moustafa. “Osteoporosis and the effect of dysregulation of the transsulfuration pathway via taurine on intracellular calcium homeostasis, vitamin D absorption and vitamin K absorption.” Clinical nutrition ESPEN vol. 43 (2021): 191-196. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34024513/
  19. Santulli G, Kansakar U, Varzideh F, Mone P, Jankauskas SS, Lombardi A. Functional Role of Taurine in Aging and Cardiovascular Health: An Updated Overview. Nutrients. 2023; 15(19):4236. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/19/4236
  20. Swiderski, Jordan et al. “Combination of Taurine and Black Pepper Extract as a Treatment for Cardiovascular and Coronary Artery Diseases.” Nutrients vol. 15,11 2562. 30 May. 2023, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37299525/
  21. Singh, Parminder et al. “Taurine deficiency as a driver of aging.” Science (New York, N.Y.) vol. 380,6649 (2023): eabn9257. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn9257

References –
VITAMIN D3, MAGNESIUM, ZINC, BORON, K2, Calcium

  1. Chen, Li-Ju et al. “The associations of serum vitamin D status and vitamin D supplements use with all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia: a UK Biobank based prospective cohort study.” The American journal of clinical nutrition vol. 119,4 (2024): 1052-1064. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38296029/
  2. Ghahremani, Maryam et al. “Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia: Effects of sex, APOE, and baseline cognitive status.” Alzheimer’s & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands) vol. 15,1 e12404. 1 Mar. 2023, https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dad2.12404
  3. Menon V, Kar SK, Suthar N, Nebhinani N. Vitamin D and Depression: A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence and Future Directions. Indian J Psychol Med. 2020 Jan 6;42(1):11-21. doi: 10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_160_19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31997861/
  4. Mărginean CO, Meliț LE, Borka Balas R, Văsieșiu AM, Fleșeriu T. The Crosstalk between Vitamin D and Pediatric Digestive Disorders. Diagnostics (Basel). 2022 Sep 27;12(10):2328. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12102328. PMCID: PMC9600444. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36292016/
  5. Hollis, Bruce W et al. “Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy: double-blind, randomized clinical trial of safety and effectiveness.” Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research vol. 26,10 (2011): 2341-57. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3183324/
  6. Mithal, Ambrish, and Sanjay Kalra. “Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy.” Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism vol. 18,5 (2014): 593-6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3183324/
  7. Dai, Qi et al. “Magnesium status and supplementation influence vitamin D status and metabolism: results from a randomized trial.” The American journal of clinical nutrition vol. 108,6 (2018): 1249-1258. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30541089/
  8. Uwitonze, Anne Marie, and Mohammed S Razzaque. “Role of Magnesium in Vitamin D Activation and Function.” The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association vol. 118,3 (2018): 181-189. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29480918/
  9. Cazzola, Roberta et al. “Going to the roots of reduced magnesium dietary intake: A tradeoff between climate changes and sources.” Heliyon vol. 6,11 e05390. 3 Nov. 2020, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345245989_Going_to_the_roots_of_reduced_magnesium_dietary_intake_A_tradeoff_between_climate_changes_and_sources
  10. Zittermann, Armin. “Magnesium deficit ? overlooked cause of low vitamin D status?.” BMC medicine vol. 11 229. 24 Oct. 2013, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24228832/
  11. Christakos, Sylvia et al. “Vitamin D and intestinal calcium absorption.” Molecular and cellular endocrinology vol. 347,1-2 (2011): 25-9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3405161/
  12. Craig, T A et al. “Modulation effects of zinc on the formation of vitamin D receptor and retinoid X receptor alpha-DNA transcription complexes: analysis by microelectrospray mass spectrometry.” Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM vol. 15,12 (2001): 1011-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11400211/
  13. Amos, Ashton, and Mohammed S Razzaque. “Zinc and its role in vitamin D function.” Current research in physiology vol. 5 203-207. 30 Apr. 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9095729/
  14. Claro da Silva, Tatiana et al. “Vitamin D3 transactivates the zinc and manganese transporter SLC30A10 via the Vitamin D receptor.” The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology vol. 163 (2016): 77-87. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27107558/
  15. Gonoodi, Kayhan et al. “An assessment of the risk factors for vitamin D deficiency using a decision tree model.” Diabetes & metabolic syndrome vol. 13,3 (2019): 1773-1777. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31235093/
  16. Vázquez-Lorente, Héctor et al. “Effectiveness of eight-week zinc supplementation on vitamin D3 status and leptin levels in a population of postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomized trial.” Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) vol. 65 (2021): 126730. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33607357/
  17. Pizzorno, Lara. “Nothing Boring About Boron.” Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) vol. 14,4 (2015): 35-48. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4712861/
  18. Rondanelli, Mariangela et al. “Pivotal role of boron supplementation on bone health: A narrative review.” Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) vol. 62 (2020): 126577. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0946672X20301425
  19. Nielsen, F H et al. “Effect of dietary boron on mineral, estrogen, and testosterone metabolism in postmenopausal women.” FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology vol. 1,5 (1987): 394-7. https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.1.5.3678698
  20. Miljkovic, Dusan et al. “Up-regulatory impact of boron on vitamin D function — does it reflect inhibition of 24-hydroxylase?.” Medical hypotheses vol. 63,6 (2004): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987704002919
  21. **** “Boron.” Journal of dietary supplements vol. 5,1 (2008): 62-94. doi:10.1080/19390210802329352
  22. Penland, J G. “Dietary boron, brain function, and cognitive performance.” Environmental health perspectives vol. 102 Suppl 7,Suppl 7 (1994): 65-72. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7889884/
  23. Christakos, Sylvia et al. “Vitamin D and intestinal calcium absorption.” Molecular and cellular endocrinology vol. 347,1-2 (2011): 25-9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3405161/
  24. Myung, Seung-Kwon et al. “Calcium Supplements and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.” Nutrients vol. 13,2 368. 26 Jan. 2021, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2475299123125194
  25. Flore, R et al. “Something more to say about calcium homeostasis: the role of vitamin K2 in vascular calcification and osteoporosis.” European review for medical and pharmacological sciences vol. 17,18 (2013): 2433-40. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24089220/
  26. Burt, Lauren A et al. “Effect of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation on Volumetric Bone Density and Bone Strength: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA vol. 322,8 (2019): 736-745. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2748796
  27. Behar, J. “Effect of calcium on magnesium absorption.” The American journal of physiology vol. 229,6 (1975): 1590-5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1211491/
  28. Sorensen, Mathew D. “Calcium intake and urinary stone disease.” Translational andrology and urology vol. 3,3 (2014): 235-40. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26816771/
  29. Bolland, Mark J et al. “Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis.” BMJ (Clinical research ed.) vol. 341 c3691. 29 Jul. 2010, https://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c3691

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