The Best Anti-Aging Advice I Wish I Knew

Berg frames this protocol as the single most impactful anti-aging intervention he wishes he had known earlier. He emphasizes that modern food culture has stripped collagen from the diet, so deliberate supplementation is necessary. Bone broth, a traditional food, exemplifies how ancestral wisdom countered this deficiency. He doesn't endorse a specific brand but instructs viewers to look for quality collagen powder and always combine with a source of vitamin C — citrus, berries, or a supplement. The protocol is not about megadosing; it's about closing a chronic 10g glycine gap that underlies a constellation of age-related problems. He notes that effects are systemic and may not be immediately felt in obvious ways like skin improvement; many benefits (immune strength, better bile flow) are internal and preventive.

Berg cites Dr. Alan Jackson, who argued glycine should not be among the non-essential amino acids. He points out that the body's synthetic capacity is limited to 3g daily, and most people ingest only 1.5–2g from food because collagen is largely absent. This leaves a gap of 10g. The result is a chronic deficiency that manifests as a hierarchy of failures: the body first secures heme and DNA, then bile salts and glutathione (detox), then GABA (calming), then immune modulation, and finally structural proteins. Every tissue dependent on collagen — skin, fascia, tendons, cartilage, bones, arteries, gut lining, ligaments — receives whatever glycine remains after higher-priority needs, explaining the simultaneous appearance of sagging skin, joint pain, gut issues, and arterial problems. The deficiency is invisible to standard blood tests but pervasive.

Berg details the order: 1) Heme synthesis (red blood cells) → essential for oxygen transport; 2) DNA/RNA synthesis → cell replication; 3) Bile salts → fat digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K; also prevents SIBO; 4) Glutathione → liver detoxification of poisons, alcohol, preservatives — this is where the body starts to skimp if glycine is tight, explaining variable detox capacity; 5) GABA → inhibitory neurotransmitter, brake pedal of the nervous system; low glycine means low GABA, leading to anxiety, insomnia, hyperactivity; 6) Macrophages → front-line immune cells use glycine to turn off inflammation upon death; without it, inflammation persists; 7) Skin, fascia, tendons, cartilage, bones, arteries, gut lining, ligaments, hair, nails — all collagen-rich structures that visibly degrade with age. This ordered deprivation means that before you notice sagging skin or joint pain, you've likely been silently deficient in GABA, glutathione, and immune modulation for years. It also explains the high prevalence of sleep disorders, anxiety in children, and skyrocketing autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.

Berg explains that an average tender steak is only 1–3% collagen. Eggs and fish also contribute very little glycine. So individuals who eliminate carbohydrates and plant foods but still eat only muscle meat end up protein-rich but glycine-poor. He says, 'Even when someone becomes a carnivore and consumes mostly steak and they don't consume nose to tail, they can also be deficient in glycine.' This challenges the notion that animal-based diets automatically provide everything. Children, too, who rarely eat skin or cartilage, are likely deficient and may present with hyperactivity (low GABA). The implication is that everyone — omnivore, carnivore, vegan — must intentionally seek collagen sources to cover the glycine gap.