Perhaps the single biggest threat to a healthy body and mind is the presence of free radicals –– unstable molecules whose chemical reactions in our body age us and make us sick. These sneaky foes attack us by reacting with sugary, fried and processed foods, through excessive alcohol consumption, or via toxins in the environment such as tobacco smoke, pollution and ultraviolet light.
Good thing we have friendly antioxidants to fight them with, and the most important of these happens to be a substance called glutathione. This antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent consists of three critical amino acids, namely cysteine, glutamate and glycine.
Boosting your glutathione levels can help detoxify chemicals in your body and improve your neurological, psychological, heart, liver and cellular health. In fact, it is so effective that doctors use a supplement form of cysteine called N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) to treat people who overdose on acetaminophen to prevent kidney and liver damage.
A healthy glutathione level can also improve fertility, blood sugar stability and immune health.
Our supply of glutathione decreases as we get older, so it’s a good idea to start supplementing in time to get the best results.
Research on the efficacy of glutathione treatment
According to Grucza et al., glutathione, as our most important antioxidant, plays a central role in our defence against oxidative damage and in signalling pathways. They state that it can be increased by supplementation with glutathione precursors.
Dean et al. discuss how the NAC in glutathione can help treat the symptoms of mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It has also been shown to help treat withdrawal symptoms and prevent relapse in cocaine addicts, and decrease marijuana and nicotine use and cravings.
A study by Weschawalit et al. showed that glutathione significantly reduced skin blemishes and wrinkles while increasing skin elasticity. It was also found to reduce some blood markers of liver damage and triglyceride levels in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Furthermore, it helps prevent nerve damage and protects against toxicities from chemotherapy.
Shallie et al. found that glutathione supplementation significantly improved synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and can affect the development of various neurological diseases. They point out that ‘[t]here is mounting evidence that places the glutamatergic system at the centre of the neurobiology and treatment of neurological diseases.’ This means that glutathione can play a role in the treatment of such diseases, and, moreover, of mood disorders.
Sedlac et al. state that ‘[d]eficits in glutathione have been linked to multiple neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Accordingly, agents that restore glutathione-glutamate homeostasis may afford therapeutic benefit [and provide] a major line of defense against oxidative and other forms of stress’. They point out that glutathione is one-third glutamate and helps the body by providing it with antioxidant defences and drug detoxification.
De Bruyne et al. found that glutathione supplementation may help reduce gastric inflammation and tissue damage. It protects cells against oxygen radicals, detoxification and metabolisation of various endo- and exogenous compounds, cell cycle regulation, cell signaling and apoptosis. Low levels can make epithelial cells degenerate.
Products
We stock a variety of glutathione capsules and sachets as well as topical creams and soap. As with everything else we procure for our customers, these are high-quality, superior-grade, non-GMO, allergen-free, clean products that we have carefully hand-picked ourselves.
Takeaway
Boost your brain function and immune health, detoxify your body and improve your blood sugar stability by investing early in keeping your glutathione level up – this antioxidant is one of your most trustworthy allies in combating cell degeneration.