The role of glutathione in your bodily function cannot be understated. Healthy levels of glutathione possess some potent health benefits, including healthy-aging properties.* These health benefits largely relate to glutathione’s role in these vital bodily processes:

• Enzyme/protein function*)

• Cysteine carrier/storage*)

• Gene expression*)

• Cell differentiation/signaling/proliferation* *

However, the most powerful functions glutathione offers your system are its antioxidant properties. Glutathione fights free radicals and helps with oxidative stress.*

Many people know the chef’s trick of sprinkling a little lemon juice over fruit to keep it from turning brown. Antioxidants are like that lemon juice. By maintaining healthy nutrition including antioxidants like glutathione, you can help your body from “browning” also known as “oxidizing” which causes natural damage and aging of cells. Antioxidants are the “anti-agers” of the nutrient world, working to protect your body from free radicals, and the oxidative stresses they cause.*)Every time you eat, breathe, or move, your body uses fuel created from the food you eat to produce energy. But just as a car releases harmful byproducts as exhaust, so too does your own body’s energy-producing efforts produce byproduct: free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive forms of oxygen and other elements that are missing an electron. When they come into contact with neutral molecules, they steal an electron, potentially stressing healthy cells and its DNA. In fact, some estimates show that your DNA takes 10,000 oxidative hits daily. Antioxidants help to counteract the stress caused by free radicals.**

Glutathione is the “master” antioxidant, directly interact with oxidative compounds that can influence cell membranes, DNA, and energy production. Antioxidants neutralizes a wide range of oxidants, including superoxide, nitric oxide, carbon radicals, hydroperoxides, peroxynitrites, and lipid peroxides. Glutathione offers the all-important antioxidant defense like few others nutrients can.*

• Glutathione and Detoxification

The role of glutathione in your body’s detoxification system is vital.*)But your natural processes sometimes need a boost from increased glutathione from your diet or supplements. Here’s how the detoxification system works, in three phases.

During Phase 1 detoxification, all sorts of toxins and xenobiotics are partially processed by specialized proteins inside mitochondria called cytochromes. Unfortunately, Phase 1 is an incomplete processing and can turn toxins into free radicals. These are not only potentially damaging, but they can single handedly deplete glutathione, creating a nutrition imbalance between Phase 1 and Phase 2 activity.

In Phase 2 detoxification, various enzymes act directly on the toxins partially degraded and processed in Phase 1. These enzymes can use glutathione to neutralize the toxins. Phase 3 detoxification is the elimination of toxins and xenobiotics. Toxins are removed from your body, mainly by the kidneys (urine) and liver (bile). Without healthy glutathione levels, your body would not be able to neutralize and eliminate toxins as effectively.*

Glutathione and Energy

Energy production occurs within all cells (except red blood cells) via the mitochondria. Glutathione helps protect mitochondria from free radicals and the oxidative damage they cause.* In this way, glutathione is paramount to energy production. If mitochondria are stressed, they slow down and can make less energy. The affected mitochondria might lead to decreased function and efficiency. To make things worse, stressed mitochondria could output more free radicals. In turn, these free radicals cause further mitochondrial stress and create a vicious cycle of less energy and more stress. Glutathione binds free radicals and supports natural relieve from oxidative stress — not just on the mitochondria, but on the rest of the cell.**

• Glutathione for Skin

Whether concerned with pimples, wrinkles, dryness, dry skin, or puffy eyes, many are seeking flawless, youthful skin. Science says that glutathione is a supportive answer. Fortunately, you don’t have to empty your wallet to restore the youth and health of your skin. You can solve the problem from the inside out. With optimal nutrition cells can heal and regenerate themselves, Glutathione not only involved with normal reduction of melanin (pigmentation) in your skin but has also been found to help with the appearance of wrinkles and skin elasticity.**

• Glutathione and Brain Health

How do low levels of glutathione affect brain and mental health? There is published research links between low glutathione levels and brain health.

As we age, it’s not uncommon to experience a bit of forgetfulness or difficulty concentrating. These are just two examples of normal neurodegeneration, a process by which the neurons in our brains become damaged and may even die. This leaves us with “shrinking” brains that don’t function to their full capacity. While this process is unavoidable as we age, it can be minimized and managed, and glutathione (GSH) plays an important nutrient role.*

Accelerated neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s diseases exhibit high levels of oxidative stress damage to the brain as well as low glutathione (GSH) levels. Healthy GSH levels can help with the natural rate of decline to brain tissue.* Some limited and inconclusive research results are promising, a 2017 study involving Alzheimer’s patients using intranasal GSH found that GSH and placebo had equally good results — after three months. Glutathione produced positive results. However, so did the placebo. From available literature other neurological illnesses like Lyme disease are reported have lower measured levels of GSH

• Glutathione and Heart Health

The number one health related cause of death in the United States is still a heart attack.  A lesser-known understanding is that glutathione may be a beneficial nutrient for heart health, thanks to its ability to help with neutralization of “lipid oxidation” (fat oxidation) process.*)Virtually all heart disease starts with the accumulation of arterial plaque inside the artery walls. Bad cholesterol (LDL) is lipid oxidized and damages the lining of the blood vessels, forming a plaque (atherosclerosis). When these plaques eventually rupture and break off, they can clog your blood vessels and block blood flow that causes heart attacks or strokes.

Very Important information to know about heart health.

With the help of an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase, glutathione can help inhibit superoxides, free radicals, hydrogen peroxides, lipid peroxides, and peroxynitrites that contribute to lipid oxidation and wreak havoc on your optimal health.*)In this way, healthy glutathione nutrition could help with potential stress and risk of heart troubles.* In a study of 643 cardiac patients who underwent coronary angiography in Germany, those who died of heart attacks had much lower levels of glutathione peroxidase than those who survived. If we don’t have enough glutathione to neutralize potential stress to our arteries, we could be increasing risk of heart concerns and cardiovascular events.*

• Glutathione in Tissue and Joint Health

Does glutathione help with natural-inflammation responses? As a matter of fact, glutathione is great at supporting our bodies natural response to inflammation!* Inflammation has been a hot topic in the natural health world for the past decade; however, many people still don’t fully understand exactly why persistent inflammation lies at the root of most of the health concerns plaguing Americans today. High levels of aberrant inflammation are present in virtually every chronic illness, like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. However, healthy inflammation is necessary (in short bursts) to fight infectious invaders and recover from vigorous exercise. Injury can also incite normal inflammatory response. Whether you are talking about surgery, trauma, infection, toxins, or allergies, your immune system answers the same. First, the blood vessels in the injured area begin to expand and open wide to allow your body’s natural healing compounds to get the injured site as quickly as possible. Because of the increased blood flow, fluid and immune cells flood the area often in overwhelming amounts. This increase in permeability of the blood and lymph vessels is what causes the physical manifestations of acute inflammation, namely redness, pain, stiffness, and swelling.  After the infection or injury is repaired the acute inflammatory response normally subsides and goes away. The healthy inflammatory response comes to your rescue when it’s needed and cools itself off once the healing is complete. But we don’t live in an ideal world. In the real world, environmental toxins, your diet, stress, and other lifestyle issues could slow-down the checks and balances of this system. When this happens, you’re in trouble. That’s where supplementation with glutathione can help.*

Glutathione (GSH) supports healthy control when inflammation increases or decreases as needed, by instructing and influencing our immune white cells. This is a completely separate mechanism from its antioxidant properties. Balanced glutathione levels help with healthy inflammation responses and immune function.**

• Glutathione and the Immune System

Glutathione helps your immune system stay strong and ready to fight infections.*) While vitamin C seems to get all the accolades when it comes to immunity, glutathione is the under-recognized supporting actor who deserves the starring role. Research shows that glutathione (GSH) primes white cells such as natural killer (NK) and T cells, your body’s front-line infection fighters. Healthy T cells are able to produce infection-fighting substances, normally controlling both bacterial and viral infections.)One clinical trial in particular reported that GSH helped NK cells’ ability to be cytotoxic (kill invaders) after just six months of use.* Glutathione can also help provide nutrition to the immune cells called macrophages which naturally resist invaders such as bacteria.* In another limited and inconclusive study, researchers found that GSH contributes to the nutrition of many immune system cells, affecting adaptive immunity and helping the body naturally resist against microbial, viral and parasitic contact.* There are many influences which can deregulate and suppress the immune system. Proper nutrition including Glutathione supplementation can naturally help your body modulate and resist these influences.*

• Glutathione and Athletic Performance

Glutathione nutrition can boost athletic performance when used before workouts.* Best of all, you don’t have to be an ultramarathoner or a bodybuilder. Anyone from the average runner to the weekend warrior can benefit from this exercise supplement.* In a limited and inconclusive study of eight men receiving 1,000 milligrams of glutathione before exercise, the glutathione group performed better, felt less fatigued, and had lower blood lactic acid levels than the placebo controlled group.* This is key, since increased lactic acid in the body can result in temporary fatigue, low blood pressure, muscle aches, a drop in body temperature, and respiratory challenges. Glutathione combined with L-citrulline contributed to nitric oxide production (NO) better than placebo or L-citrulline alone. Nitric oxide is well known to dilate blood vessels helping with blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles and tissues.* This improves athletic performance and exercise output.*

• Glutathione and Learning

1 in 59 children is diagnosed with autism. It’s important to do everything you can to alleviate symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. Supplementing with glutathione can help with oxidative stress that is common in children and those with autism.* How does supplementing glutathione help? Low levels of glutathione are a common finding in autism, among other biomarkers. Promising new limited research shows that liposomal and transdermal glutathione might help raise levels of GSH in plasma in children with autism.* Some evidence suggests that glutathione supports optimal learning functions*)but double blinded large scale studies are needed to scientifically support this.

• Glutathione and Circulatory Systems 

Glutathione supplementation has been linked with healthy blood circulation.* Situations such as Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) affects 10% of Americans, glutathione offers a potential supplemental nutrition choice to this circulatory system challenge in addition with the medical treatments. Talk with your healthcare provider before beginning any supplement routine. PVD specifically occurs when narrowed blood vessels do not supply enough blood supply to muscles when needed — most often muscles in the legs. Fatigue and pain with walking are hallmark symptoms of PVD. In a double-blind study, 40 PVD patients were given IV infusions of either glutathione or placebo, twice a day. The patients receiving GSH were able to walk pain-free much further than the patients receiving placebo injections. Human clinical trials with IV glutathione injections, are gaining in popularity. However, these aren’t quite mainstream yet. The extra work of finding such a drug clinical trial may be a worthwhile pursuit for those afflicted by PVD.

• Glutathione for Lung Health

Low serum glutathione could be related to discomforts in the lungs. Preliminary inconclusive research results suggest a link between low glutathione and occurrence of breathing related challenges.* Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. As damage from our lifestyles, smoking or even environmental pollution accumulates to the respiratory tract and the lungs, oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange suffers, making it difficult to have optimal breathing. Having normal glutathione levels can help protect lung tissue from free radical damage and support normal inflammation responses.* Additionally, animal studies found that intravenous glutathione supplementation helped maintained normal lung function, when exposed to higher levels of oxygen. It also increased lung compliance, helped with natural swelling, and supported lung tissue.* Researchers concluded that glutathione supplementation supports normal airflow and lung tissue, as well as lowering the potential risk of hyper oxygen-induced lung challenges.* However, research is limited and inconclusive at this time. 

• Glutathione and Vitamin D

Vitamin D3 — the most active form of vitamin D — has been a hot topic in medicine because it controls and modulates the immune system.* And when glutathione levels are low, vitamin D doesn’t work as efficiently. * Initially thought to play a role in calcium metabolism and bone formation only, we now know that low vitamin D levels can increase your risk of:

• Heart attack

• Asthma

• Diabetes

• High blood pressure

• Multiple sclerosis

• Decreased brain function

What happens to vitamin D with glutathione deficiency? In fact, low vitamin D levels have been correlated with simultaneous glutathione deficiency. Observing animals deficient in vitamin D, researchers found that supplementing vitamin D and cysteine (a GSH precursor) restored glutathione levels, increased the bioavailability of vitamin D. Researchers noted that the vitamin D supplements widely consumed by the public “are unlikely to be successful unless the GSH status is also correct.” In other words, simply taking vitamin D isn’t enough. You need to be sure you have adequate glutathione nutrition to make sure that your vitamin D is working as it should.* 

• Glutathione and Methylation

Glutathione production starts with the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine usually comes from homocysteine, a major product of the methylation cycle. Making glutathione depends on a healthy functioning methylation cycle. Methylation is critical for human survival. It’s like an electrical switch that turns genes on and off. Methylation regulates neurotransmitters, brain function, mood, energy, and hormone levels. If the glutathione production process (or the “trans-sulfuration” pathway) is not optimal the process could back up and homocysteine levels accumulate putting additional strain on the methylation cycle to remove it. This is not ideal since high homocysteine levels have been linked to heart and artery challenges. In many instances, people can have mutations in the enzymes that catalyze the production of glutathione from homocysteine. One such enzyme is cystathionine beta synthase (CBS), which catalyzes the first and most important (rate limiting) step in trans-sulfuration from homocysteine to cystathionine. Individuals with CBS mutations can be slow to make glutathione. Flipping this around, individuals who have poor-functioning methylation cycle enzymes will have lower homocysteine levels. Since it’s the first step in making glutathione, slow methylation can directly lower your levels of glutathione. By now, you may have heard of the most famous enzymes — MTHFR and MTR — regulating the speed of the methylation cycle. For those of you who know you have MTHFR, MTRR, or CBS mutations, you are likely experiencing low glutathione levels without realizing it. Clearly, methylation is a critical process — as well as a complicated one. The key message to remember here is that low methylation equals low glutathione and that low glutathione slows methylation. They are interdependent.