Everything You Don't Know About Glutathione Part 2 (of two parts total)
Everything You Don’t Know About Glutathione Part 2
We started discussing the most amazing antioxidant Glutathione in last weeks blog post Glutathione part 1.
We now pick right up where we left off in Glutathione part 2…here we go!
Glutathione in disease and depletion:
]When you are deficient in glutathione your body is more vulnerable to information and oxidative stress, both indicate chronic illness and accelerated aging.
If your glutathione levels are to low, your mitochondria can’t fight off damage, resulting in you feeling tired because your mitochondria are less efficient when they get oxidized.
The free radical damage caused by oxidation then triggers your immune system to clean up the damage, which then results in inflammation.
A deficiency in glutathione can increase your risk of of a number of adverse health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes, among others. (Med Science)
In addition to aging naturally, environmental causes of depleting glutathione include:
UV radiation exposure
Certain medications (Tylenol)
Stress
Poor diet/ Eating the standard American diet (SAD)
Stress
Pollution
Smoking
Alcohol use
Cadmium exposure
Chronic exposure to chemical toxins
Some diseases are known to decrease glutathione levels. Some of the more common low glutathione related diseases are :
Infertility
Heart disease
Stroke
Sickle cell anemia
Liver disease
Alzheimer’s disease
COPD
Cancer
Hepatitis
Diabetes
Parkinson’s disease
Macular degeneration
AIDS/HIV
(Med Science)
Lets talk about the heart and cardiovascular system:
Heart attack is the number one cause of death in the united states. There are national campaigns for early detection and heart health. Having a heart attack is one of the top fears of Americans.
But what is missing in these national campaigns is glutathione, and the role it plays in preventing heart attacks and strokes, thanks to its ability to neutralize the “lipid oxidation” process.
This is important because virtually all heart disease starts with the accumulation of arterial plaques, or deposits inside the arteries walls.
Coronary and arterial plaque develop gradually as cholesterol particles such as LDL in the blood are “lipid oxidized” and damage the lining of the blood vessels, forming a plaque.
When these plaques eventually rupture and break off, they cause clogs and block the blood flow and cause heart attacks or strokes.
With the help of an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase, glutathione inactivates the superoxide, free radicals, hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxides, and peroxinitrates that cause this “lipid oxidation” and wreak havoc on your health. It is in this way that glutathione helps to prevent and lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
(Med Science)
Brain health:
As we get older it is not uncommon to experience a bit go forgetfulness, or maybe have difficulty concentrating or remembering names or where we left our car keys. The technical name for this is “neuro-degeneration”, a process by which neurons in our brains become damaged and may even die, leaving us with “shrinking” brains that don’t function to their full capacity. While this process is unavoidable as we age, it can be slowed and even reversed, and glutathione (GSH) plays an important role.
There are certain brain disorders that have accelerated neuro-degeneration that give us clues.
For example, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's diseases have high levels of oxidative stress and damage to the brain with correspondingly low active glutathione (GSH) levels. GSH can help ease and decrease the rate of damage to neural tissue.
Other neurologic illness like Lyme disease also greatly benefits from improved levels of glutathione.
(Med Science)
Inflammation:
Inflammation is present in virtually every chronic illness. From diabetes and heart disease to cancer. However inflammation is also necessary to (in short bursts) fight things like infectious invaders.
Any injury can incite an inflammatory response. Whether you are talking about trauma, an infection, toxins, or allergies, your immune system answers with the same chemical cascade.
In the real world, environmental toxins, your diet, stress, and other lifestyle issues have disabled the checks and balances of this system, encouraging your body to make more of the pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and less of the anti-inflammatory ones. As a result, many people suffer from chronic, systemic inflammation.
When this happens, you’re in trouble. You need a lot of extra protection.
It appears that glutathione (GSH) controls when inflammation increases or decreases as need be by instructing and influencing our immune white cells. Additionally, autoimmune disease also appears to be hallmarked by imbalanced glutathione levels. (Med Science)
Athletic Performance:
It appears that glutathione can boost your athletic performance when used before workouts.
In a small study of 8 men receiving 1000 mg of glutathione before exercise, those men taking the glutathione performed better, felt less fatigued, and had lower blood lactic acid levels than the placebo controlled group. This is important, as increased lactic acid can result in fatigue, low blood pressure, muscle aches, a drop in body temperature, and respiratory problems. (Med Science)
Immunity:
Glutathione helps your immune system stay strong and to fight infections. While vitamin C seems to get all of the glory when it comes to the immune system, glutathione also plays a key role.
Research shows that active glutathione (GSH) primes white blood cells such as natural killer (NK) and T cells, your body’s front line infection fighters. (Med Science)
Peripheral Vascular Disease:
Along with heart disease and stroke, atherosclerosis can affect arteries supplying blood to the periphery, such as your arms and legs. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) occurs when narrowed blood vessels do not supply enough blood supply to muscles when needed. Fatigue and pain with walking are hallmark symptoms of PVD.
In a double blind study, 40 PVD patients were given either reduced active glutathione (GSH) IV infusions twice a day or placebo. The patients receiving glutathione were able to walk pain-free much further than the patients receiving placebo injections. (Med Science)
Autism:
Autism is on the rise in the United States, and a key priority of the parents with children on the autism spectrum is improving function. Glutathione has been shown to be very beneficial in treating the autistic child.
In fact, one warning sign we see in children with autism is low levels of glutathione. Fortunately, promising new research shows liposomal and transdermal glutathione might help raise levels of GSH in plasma in children with autism. (Med Science)
Type 2 diabetes:
Type 2 diabetes is common and on the rise in the United States. The debilitating, slow damage created by high levels of blood sugar (glucose) destroys everything from your blood vessels, to your kidneys, your eyes, and nerves due to “oxidative stress”.
As oxidative stress increases, glutathione is used up as an antioxidant and levels of active GSH get depleted.
This has been confirmed to be a fact in type 2 diabetes. Glutathione levels were found to be very low as a result of the high oxidative stress that can damage tissues especially when blood glucose levels are high. (Med Science)
Skin Health:
Glutathione not only decreases the the melanin (pigmentation) of skin, but it has also been found to decrease the appearance of wrinkles and increase the elasticity of skin.
Glutathione works on the pigment production mainly by inhibiting tyrosinase, one of the enzymes involved in the process of making melanin. In one study, both GSH and GSSG worked in achieving the skin lighting effect, which appears to be very gradual and will take weeks to develop. (Med Science)
COPD:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. As damage from smoking or even pollution accumulates to the respiratory tract and the lungs, oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange suffers, making it difficult to breathe.
Low glutathione levels have been linked to abnormalities in the linings of the lungs, and having normal glutathione levels may protect from inflammation by protecting lung tissue from free radical damage. (Med Science)
Food sources for Glutathione:
Brussel sprouts
Spinach
Broccoli
Garlic
Chives
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Almonds
Walnuts
Glutathione supplementation summary:
Oral powder (not recommended)
Liposomal glutathione formulation (recommended)
Inhaled GSH with a special nebulizer (recommended but you need a prescription)
Transdermal and lotions (variable levels of absorption)
IV (most effective, but also most invasive)
Boost levels with selenium, ALA, NAC, and/or SAMe (recommended)
Injections (recommended but will need a prescription)
(Med Science)
Practices to boost Glutathione:
Glutathione is the master antioxidant to your cells structure, DNA, proteins, lipids, membranes, and most importantly your mitochondria. It is quite possibly, the secret to long lasting health and longevity. Take care to maintain and even boost your levels every day.
This means eating a glutathione rich diet, avoiding dietary saboteurs like processed foods and sugar, drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of clean water per day, getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night, reducing stress, and exercising at least five days a week. Your mind, body, and your cells will think you. (Med Science)
As you can see glutathione is crucial staple in your plan to longevity. I have increased my glutathione with injections twice weekly. I feel amazing since I have started this protocol, and I know you will feel the same way when you add more glutathione to your life.
Here’s to your health..
Cheers!
