Glutathione: How to Improve Its Production!

Glutathione is a tripeptide (cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid) that plays a fundamental role in critical physiological processes, resulting in relevant effects on the pathophysiology of various diseases, such as maintaining redox balance, reducing oxidative stress, increasing metabolic detoxification, and regulating immune system function.

Furthermore, its composition contains sulfur chemical groups, capable of ridding the body of harmful elements, such as toxins and free radicals.

In other words, it effectively protects all cells in the body.

Finally, glutathione has the capacity to maximize the activity of other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and lipoic acid or alpha-lipoic acid, in addition to those obtained through a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables.

Optimizing glutathione levels has been proposed as a strategy for health promotion and disease prevention, although causal relationships between glutathione status and disease risk or treatment still need to be clarified. However, human clinical research suggests that nutritional interventions, including amino acids, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and foods, can have important effects on circulating glutathione, which may translate into clinical benefits.

➔ Pre-formed glutathione: Although data on oral glutathione delivery are mixed and inconclusive, recent research suggests that when glutathione is administered in liposomal or sublingual forms, it may become more bioavailable and favorably impact systemic glutathione levels. ➔ NAC (N-acetyl-cysteine): Possesses antioxidant properties, in addition to being able to provide cysteine for glutathione synthesis. It is unclear whether NAC's effects on oxidative stress are due to these antioxidant properties or to increased glutathione synthesis. ➔ Proteins: Impaired protein digestion can be a limiting factor in ensuring healthy glutathione levels. ➔ Omega-3: Chronic inflammation can contribute to oxidative stress and deplete glutathione supply. ➔ Vitamin B1, B5, and B12: Riboflavin is a coenzyme necessary for the activity of glutathione reductase, which converts oxidized glutathione into its reduced form, the compound necessary for antioxidant function. Pantothenic acid may also help support glutathione synthesis through its role in ATP production. B12 deficiency is associated with lower glutathione levels. ➔ Vitamin E: Studies show that its supplementation in diabetic patients led to an increase in glutathione. ➔ Vitamin C: Studies show that vitamin C supplementation at doses of 500mg to 1000mg per day leads to increased glutathione levels in lymphocytes and red blood cells. See the scheme above. ➔ Alpha-lipoic acid: Is a multifunctional compound in its ability to serve as a direct scavenger of free radical species and aid in the regeneration of endogenous antioxidants, such as glutathione. ➔ Selenium: Is a known antioxidant and cofactor of glutathione peroxidase. ➔ Others: Such as phytonutrients (glucosinolate metabolites and dithiothiones in brassica vegetables; diallyl sulfides from the allium family, limonoids and flavonoids derived from citrus), green tea, vegetables like brassicas, herbs and roots like turmeric, rosemary, Ginko biloba. Optimizing dietary intake of glutathione precursors, cofactors, and whole foods that have shown to increase glutathione status or are a source of glutathione would be a relatively simple, low-cost, and safe approach that can improve health by optimizing an individual's glutathione status.

Minich DM, Brown BI. A Review of Dietary (Phyto)Nutrients for Glutathione Support. Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2073. Published 2019 Sep 3. doi:10.3390/nu11092073

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