Ingredient profile
Amino Acids in Glyco Defender: L-Carnitine, L-Tryptophan, GABA, L-Arginine and More
Glyco Defender lists seven amino acids near the end of its 15.47 mg blend: L-glutamine, L-tyrosine, L-arginine, beta-alanine, GABA, L-tryptophan and L-carnitine. Placed 14th to 21st, each one tops out at about 0.7 to 1.1 mg per 1 mL dropper. Studies of these amino acids used grams a day, so the amounts in the drops are thousands of times smaller.
Written by the Glyco Defender facts deskUpdated
On the label01
What amino acids are in Glyco Defender?
Glyco Defender lists seven: L-glutamine, L-tyrosine, L-arginine, beta-alanine, GABA, L-tryptophan and L-carnitine HCl. They fill places 14 to 21, with a licorice compound at 18.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. The body makes some and gets the rest from food. As supplements they are white powders, so no plant photo appears.
The label order caps each line. L-glutamine in 14th place can weigh at most about 1.1 mg per mL; L-carnitine in 21st, about 0.74 mg.
L-carnitine02
Does L-carnitine help blood sugar?
L-carnitine shows some fasting glucose improvement in type 2 diabetes studies at 2 to 3 grams a day. Glyco Defender lists it last, at most about 0.74 mg per dropper.
An NIH-cited meta-analysis found 2 to 3 g a day reduced fasting glucose in type 2 diabetes. Larger trials are needed. Healthy people rarely need carnitine, since the body makes it (NIH ODS, Carnitine).
The math: 2 g is 2,000 mg, about 2,700 times the most one dropper can hold.
L-tryptophan03
Is L-tryptophan safe in a supplement?
L-tryptophan needs care. Do not mix it with drugs that raise serotonin without medical advice.
In 1989, contaminated L-tryptophan from one manufacturer was linked to eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. More than 1,500 people were affected and 37 deaths were attributed to it, and FDA issued a nationwide recall (NORD, Eosinophilia-Myalgia Syndrome).
Drugs.com lists MAO inhibitors, tramadol, dextromethorphan, meperidine and sedatives as risky pairings (Drugs.com, L-tryptophan). Glyco Defender holds at most about 0.77 mg. On a serotonin drug, tell your doctor anyway.
GABA04
Does a GABA supplement do anything?
The evidence that a GABA supplement eases stress is limited, and the evidence for sleep is very limited.
A 2020 review covered 14 placebo-controlled human studies. Most were small, and 11 had an industry author. Whether swallowed GABA reaches the brain is debated (Hepsomali et al., Front Neurosci 2020).
GABA sits 19th of 21, at most about 0.81 mg. No GABA study in our sources measured blood sugar.
L-arginine05
What does L-arginine do?
L-arginine is an amino acid that can lower blood pressure. Sports studies found little or no performance benefit.
Sports studies used 2 to 20 g a day (NIH ODS, Exercise & Athletic Performance). Glyco Defender's L-arginine line is at most about 0.97 mg.
MSK says arginine may add to blood pressure medicines. After a recent heart attack, it may raise the risk of death (MSKCC, Arginine).
Glyco Defender: from $49 a bottle30 mL · 1, 3 or 6 bottles · free US shipping on 6 · 60-day money-back
See packsThe rest06
What about L-glutamine, L-tyrosine and beta-alanine?
L-glutamine, L-tyrosine and beta-alanine are sold mainly for exercise and focus, not blood sugar. Each sits around 1 mg per dropper in Glyco Defender.
Research does not back glutamine alone for performance (NIH ODS, Exercise & Athletic Performance), and tyrosine only possibly helps alertness (Drugs.com, Tyrosine).
L-glutamine
About 45 g a day for 6 weeks: no performance effect.
L-tyrosine
Ask first with a thyroid condition, thyroid medicine or levodopa.
Beta-alanine
Harmless tingling starts near 800 mg, about 900 times the dropper ceiling.
Profiles07
What does the research say about each amino acid?
For blood sugar, only L-carnitine has human research, and only at gram doses. The other six are studied for exercise, mood, stress or sleep.
One table per label line follows.
| Name on the label | L-glutamine |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 14 of 21 in the 15.47 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #14 of 21 in the 15.47 mg blend, so at most 1.1 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | About 15-45 g a day (sports studies) |
| Strength of evidence | Not supported for performance |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Generally well tolerated in studied doses. |
| Name on the label | L-Tyrosine |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 15 of 21 in the 15.47 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #15 of 21 in the 15.47 mg blend, so at most 1 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | No dose established for blood sugar |
| Strength of evidence | Not established |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Ask first with a thyroid condition, thyroid medicine or levodopa. |
| Name on the label | L-Arginine |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 16 of 21 in the 15.47 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #16 of 21 in the 15.47 mg blend, so at most 0.97 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | 2-20 g a day (in sports studies) |
| Strength of evidence | Little or no performance benefit |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Can lower blood pressure. |
| Name on the label | Beta Alanine |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 17 of 21 in the 15.47 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #17 of 21 in the 15.47 mg blend, so at most 0.91 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | 1.6-6.4 g a day |
| Strength of evidence | Mixed (exercise only) |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Harmless tingling at 800 mg or more, far above this blend. |
| Name on the label | GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 19 of 21 in the 15.47 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #19 of 21 in the 15.47 mg blend, so at most 0.81 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | No dose established for blood sugar |
| Strength of evidence | Limited evidence (stress, sleep) |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Little human safety data at supplement doses. |
| Name on the label | L-Tryptophan |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid |
| Place on the label | 20 of 21 in the 15.47 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #20 of 21 in the 15.47 mg blend, so at most 0.77 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | No dose established for blood sugar |
| Strength of evidence | Not established |
| Marketed or traditional use | Amino acid |
| Main caution | Do not combine with MAOIs or other serotonin drugs without advice. |
| Name on the label | L-Carnitine HCl |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid derivative |
| Place on the label | 21 of 21 in the 15.47 mg proprietary blend |
| Amount per mL (1 dropper) | Not listed; #21 of 21 in the 15.47 mg blend, so at most 0.74 mg per mL |
| Amount used in research | 2-3 g a day (type 2 diabetes studies) |
| Strength of evidence | Some glucose improvement; more trials needed |
| Marketed or traditional use | Fat metabolism |
| Main caution | Fishy odor and stomach upset at about 3 g. |
An amino acid blend does not replace any prescription. Stay on your medicines and show the label to your pharmacist. See side effects and interactions.
Other lines08
Why are amino acids in a blood sugar supplement?
The label does not say. At about 1 mg or less each, they read like names, not working doses.
Compare all 22 lines on the ingredients page, or read the full Supplement Facts panel.
FAQ09
Amino acid questions
How much L-carnitine is in Glyco Defender?
The label does not say. L-carnitine HCl is the last of 21 blend ingredients, so one 1 mL dropper holds at most about 0.74 mg. Studies in type 2 diabetes used 2 to 3 g a day, thousands of times more than one dropper.
Can L-tryptophan interact with antidepressants?
It can. Drugs.com advises against pairing L-tryptophan with MAO inhibitors, tramadol and other serotonin drugs without medical advice. Glyco Defender holds under 1 mg. Anyone on these medicines should still ask a doctor first, since the full blend has never been tested with them.
Does L-arginine lower blood pressure?
It can, at gram doses. Sports studies at 9 to 30 g a day noted slightly lower blood pressure, and MSK says arginine may add to blood pressure medicines. Glyco Defender holds at most about 0.97 mg of L-arginine per dropper.
Will beta-alanine in Glyco Defender make my skin tingle?
Very unlikely. The harmless tingling linked to beta-alanine shows up at 800 mg or more. One Glyco Defender dropper holds at most about 0.91 mg, far below that level. Tingling after a dose is more likely from something else, so mention it to your doctor.
Is GABA safe to take every day?
Little human safety data exist at supplement doses. The 2020 review found only limited evidence of benefit. One Glyco Defender dropper holds at most about 0.81 mg. Ask your doctor first if you take sleep medicines or sedatives.
Is L-tyrosine safe with thyroid medicine?
Ask first. Drugs.com says to talk to a provider before using tyrosine with an overactive thyroid, Graves disease or thyroid replacement medicine. Chromium in the same dropper may also reduce levothyroxine absorption, so ask how to space the two.
Who wrote this10
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Learn about our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. stocking partner for Glyco Defender, not by the manufacturer or the distributor. We are paid when you buy through our order links.
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