Supplement
Sarcosine is a natural amino acid derivative that blocks a glycine transporter in the brain, which helps nerve cells respond more fully at NMDA receptors. People mostly look at it as an add-on for schizophrenia, and trials found symptoms improved and thinking skills got better when it was added to antipsychotic medication. Each finding came from a single study, though, and the cognition result was small, so the picture is still taking shape.
Sources: PMID 16780811; PMID 15023571
- Updated
- How we grade
- 4 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade A
- Conditions studied
- 1
- Outcomes
- 2
- Graded outcomes
- 1100
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schizophrenia symptoms Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 1 study | 183 people | ||
Studies that measured schizophrenia symptoms | ||||||
| Cognition Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | 98 people | ||
Studies that measured cognition | ||||||
Key findings
- Schizophrenia symptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- CognitionImproves (the measure goes up)
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Third-party tested Sarcosine products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade A
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Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed
- Sarcosine or D-serine add-on treatment for acute exacerbation of schizophrenia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison study of sarcosine (N-methylglycine) and D-serine add-on treatment for schizophrenia
- Glycine transporter I inhibitor, N-methylglycine (sarcosine), added to antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia
- Glycine transporter I inhibitor, N-methylglycine (sarcosine), added to clozapine for the treatment of schizophrenia