There are virtually no living organisms on this planet-animal
or plant whose cells don't contain some glutathione. Scientists have speculated
that glutathione was essential to the very development of life on earth. Glutathione
is a combination of three simple building blocks of amino acids - L-Cysteine, L-Glutamic
Acid & Glycine. In healthy individuals, glutathione is naturally produced by the
liver and is normally recycled in the body while it itself recycles other
antioxidants, keeping them in their active state. It is an intracellular
antioxidant essential for for maximum antioxidant activity from all other
antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, CoQ10, and acts as a coenzyme in
various enzymatic reactions.
Nutrition experts believe that it is just as necessary for
our health as oxygen, food and water. Although glutathione is produced
naturally in the body, its levels begin to decline at around twenty years of
age. From that point, they decrease by 8% to 12% every decade. Many longevity
scientists believe that the level of glutathione in our cells is predicative of
how long we will live. Scientists estimate that a 30% reduction of glutathione
is enough for cellular dysfunction to occur. If you are sick or old or are just
not in peak shape, you are likely to have glutathione deficiency. There are
numerous studies which show that people who have cancer, AIDS, or other very
serious disease, all invariably are depleted in glutathione.
Toxins from poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications,
stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione. Studies
have shown that adequate vitamin D is necessary for optimal glutathione
production but vast majority of our society is extremely deficient in vitamin D
itself. Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease
and aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. Glutathione is
the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent aging, cancer,
heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism
to Alzheimer’s disease. As a matter of fact, there are more than 100,000
medical articles about health benefits of Glutathione.
Master Antioxidant
Many studies have demonstrated that glutathione has the
potential to fight almost any disease, particularly those associated with
aging, since free radical damage is the cause of many of the diseases of old
age. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage,
reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from
fat production to muscle development.
Immune Booster,
Glutathione is critical for immune function and controlling
inflammation. Glutathione is extremely important for maintaining intracellular
health and make our energy metabolism run well. It protects our mitochondria,
which provides energy to our cells. It strengthens T cells, which are critical
for modulating the immune system appropriately. It plays a major role in DNA
synthesis & repair, protein synthesis, amino acid transport & enzyme
activation.
Glutathione is also important in red and white blood cell formation and is needed for the lymphocytes to multiply in order to develop a strong immune response, and for ‘killer’ lymphocytes to be able to kill undesirable cells such as cancer cells or virally infected cells. Every system in the body is affected by the state of the glutathione system, especially the immune system, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system & the lungs.
Glutathione is also important in red and white blood cell formation and is needed for the lymphocytes to multiply in order to develop a strong immune response, and for ‘killer’ lymphocytes to be able to kill undesirable cells such as cancer cells or virally infected cells. Every system in the body is affected by the state of the glutathione system, especially the immune system, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system & the lungs.
Glutathione fights against cellular toxins and works to
eliminate carcinogens from the intracellular environment while healing damaged
cells. Glutathione is the most critical and integral part of your
detoxification system as all toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries
them into the bile and the stool and out of your body. It also helps the liver
remove any chemical that is foreign to the body, such as drugs and pollutants.
Healthy Brain
The brain makes up only 2 percent of the body’s weight but
eats up roughly 20 percent of its oxygen and produces more free radicals than
any other tissue. Uncontrolled free-radical damage is the tie that binds a
handful of diseases that target the brain, including major depressive disorder,
bipolar, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Researches also
show that in deficient individuals the area that makes dopamine, the substantia
nigra, contains up to 40 percent less glutathione than the rest of the organ.
Skin Health & Whitening
Glutathione works to clear the body of free radicals and
toxins that can lead to serious skin problems like hyperpigmentation and
melasma, as well as more common ones like sun spots. Glutathione prevents the
production of dark-coloured skin pigment and helps in anti-skin aging, and skin
rejuvenation. Glutathione whitens the skin by reducing the melanin formation of
the epidermis going up to the dermis. While Glutathione is most commonly used
by women looking to whiten their skin, it may have a beneficial effect for
women that have cystic acne, acne-prone skin or even the occasional breakout.
Tips to boost Glutathione Production in Body
* Glutathione contains sulfur (SH) chemical groups therefore;
consuming Sulfur-Rich Foods helps in its production. The main ones in the diet
are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards,
cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.). Other glutathione-rich foods are
asparagus, spinach, avocado, squash, melons, grapefruit and peaches.
* Hydrolyzed Whey – This specialized form of whey has a high
potential to raise glutathione.
* Exercise boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body's own
antioxidant defenses and thereby helps boosts your glutathione levels.
The average American consumes only 35 milligrams of
glutathione per day through diet, which is far short of the optimal daily
intake of 250 milligrams. Oral supplementation with glutathione is ineffective
because it is not well absorbed across the GI tract. The IV or injections are
very expensive, and require at least weekly applications since it circumvents
the usual GSH production. Therefore one should consider taking Glutathione
Supporting Supplements. Besides taking a multivitamin, one should consider
building levels of the following supplements.
* The rate at which glutathione can be made depends on the
availability of cysteine, which is relatively scarce in foodstuffs. N-acetyl-Cysteine(NAC) has been shown to raise glutathione levels within the cells & is the
primary supplement used for glutathione boosting.
* Vitamin D's active metabolite - Calcitriol, which is
synthesized in the kidney and increases glutathione levels.
* SAMe will raise plasma & liver glutathione
concentrations.
* Alpha Lipoic Acid also has been shown to restore
intercellular glutathione.
* Folic acid, Vitamins B6 and B12 are most critical for your
body to produce glutathione.
* Selenium helps the body recycle and produce more
glutathione.
* Antioxidants like Vitamins C and E work together to
recycle glutathione.
* The liver herb Milk Thistle has been discovered to greatly
boost GSH.
* Green tea, Fish oil and Resveratrol also house substances
that switch on genes responsible for making glutathione.
Always consult your health care provider before starting a supplement therapy.
