Glutathione 500mg

Glutathione Overview

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant and a regulator of numerous biochemical processes. In large quantities, it’s present in human tissues but tends to decline as we age. Numerous clinical studies have proven that glutathione can help minimize neurodegenerative diseases, improve immune function, promote cartilage health, keep your skin looking more youthful, and ward off age-related changes in the eye. Overall, substantial evidence supports the claim that glutathione is a potent anti-aging compound with extensive health and immune benefits. 

What is Glutathione?

This is a short peptide made of glycine, glutamate, and cysteine. It appears naturally throughout the body and mostly acts as an antioxidant and a supportive agent to various processes in the central nervous system. Glutathione is particularly important in the liver's detoxification process and collects free radicals in the brain. 

A lot of evidence suggests that loss of glutathione can lead to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts. Reduced levels of this peptide are believed to be a consequence of aging and can contribute to aging. If you suffer from some chronic illness, it can also affect glutathione levels. 

Glutathione as an antioxidant

Glutathione has long been recognized as one of the most important low-molecular-weight antioxidants synthesized by the body’s cells. This low-molecular-weight molecule, which is released by cells, fights poisonous free radicals like peroxides, nitrogen dioxide, and toxins. It participates in a simple redox reaction, shielding DNA and other critical cellular components from damage. Besides neutralizing free radicals, glutathione also increases the effectiveness of other antioxidants, including vitamins C and E.

Glutathione exists both intracellularly and in the extracellular matrix. It exists in high concentrations in organs like the lungs, brain, and liver. This peptide is produced in the body by a simple redox reaction that enables it to perform these protective roles. 

It plays an extremely critical role in health. Its deficiency has been linked to several diseases, such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, and tuberculosis. Research indicates that glutathione levels may be an important measurement of disease progression and severity. It provides doctors with another tool for assessing a patient’s health so that they can make more rational decisions on what treatment is appropriate. 

Despite what we know about its role in disease and aging, there remains no standard means of determining the glutathione level. However, scientists are probing whether repeated tests of this plain molecule will better reveal a person’s overall well-being and how effective treatment is. In the not-too-distant future, measurement of glutathione will be as common and useful as blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar measurements.

Biological Functions of Glutathione 

Though glutathione is most famous for its antioxidant function, it also has other important biological functions to fulfill. It plays a key role in leukotriene and prostaglandin synthesis, both of which are involved in inflammation. Glutathione is thus a key regulator of immune response as well as inflammation. In addition, it is involved in various biochemical reactions and plays a critical role in the synthesis of nitric oxide, which is significant for cellular metabolism. 

In short, glutathione is crucial in blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular health. It is also critical in protein folding within cells, especially in the endoplasmic reticulum. It has been discovered that it helps proteins fold into their 3D form to function. This is especially important during the development of disulfide bonds. Though it is not the only mechanism for protein folding, glutathione plays a crucial part in the process, which ensures that cells continue functioning optimally.

There has been controversy as to whether glutathione serves as a neurotransmitter. But it influences redox receptor states like that of the NMDA receptor, suggesting it could be utilized as a neuromodulator. It also appears to turn on receptors like P2X7 on Muller cells in the retina, which are responsible for retinal cell structure integrity and control of neurotransmitter levels. Even though glutathione isn’t directly a neurotransmitter, it still plays an important role in controlling neurotransmitter balance. 

The world’s leading glutathione authority, Dr. Nayan Patel, wrote a book in 2020 titled The Glutathione Revolution. He explains the necessity of supplementing glutathione in it. He compares the oxidation process of the body to rust and how glutathione is the body’s first line of defense against the poisonous process of oxidation, similar to car maintenance preventing rust. Dr. Patel explains that glutathione levels begin decreasing by as much as 20% after age 40, leading to worse performance, higher risk of disease, and faster aging. The solution, he argues, is supplementing glutathione to drive levels back up to optimal and maintain health. 

Glutathione and Research 

Glutathione and Aging 

Oxidative damage is one of the leading visual signs of aging and aging processes like DNA damage, metabolic aging, hormonal aging, and cellular/tissue aging. Considering the importance of glutathione and its ability to fight oxidative damage, it’s no surprise that this peptide is crucial to minimizing the signs of aging. 

Since glutathione decreases with aging, supplementation is an option. Research conducted on animals shows that the best form of glutathione supplementation is via injection. 

Glutathione and Cancer 

When it comes to cancer, this peptide seems to be a friend and enemy. In animal research, glutathione protects cancer cells from chemo's effects, scavenging them like any other free radical or toxin. There is ongoing research to determine whether minimizing glutathione in tumor cells is possible, therefore making it more susceptible to chemo. 

While oral glutathione therapy has not been very effective in the past, research suggests that it can work in some settings. In cases of preventing skin cancer due to exposure to the Sun, studies in rats showed that oral supplementation of this peptide could minimize the risks of developing skin cancer in addition to sunscreen. 

Glutathione and the Brain 

Lower levels of glutathione are linked to common signs of aging and more serious neurodegenerative diseases. According to some clinical trials conducted on animals, glutathione is crucial in Parkinson’s disease. 

New research shows that this peptide is an important mediator of ferroptosis or iron-dependent cell death. Without the presence of glutathione, this type of programmed cell death destroys uncontrolled cells of the central nervous system, leading to premature aging and causing the development of neurodegenerative diseases.