Glutathione: The Master Antioxidant

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant. It is a tripeptide—i.e., a tiny protein—composed of three amino acids: cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid (or glutamate). It is often called the “master” antioxidant, glutathione boosts the utilization and recycling of other antioxidants, namely vitamins C and E, and alpha-lipoic acid and CoQ10^[1]..It plays a crucial role in various physiological processes and has several potential health benefits.  Some of the key benefits of glutathione include:

1. • Antioxidant Defense Glutathione acts as a potent antioxidant, helping to neutralize free radicals and protect cells from oxidative stress. This can contribute to the prevention of various chronic diseases and aging-related processes ^[2].
   • Ageing Defense

Low levels of glutathione send messages to trigger apoptosis or cell death. Given the critical role glutathione plays at the cellular and mitochondrial levels, the overall health and longevity benefits are vast and wide. Therefore, the more glutathione in your body, the healthier your cells, and mitochondria. The less glutathione in your body, the more likely you are to have a cellular breakdown, increased risk of disease, and cellular death. ^[3]

1. • Immune System Support Glutathione is essential for a healthy immune system. It supports the function of immune cells and helps the body fight off infections and illnesses ^[4]
   • Detoxification Glutathione is involved in the detoxification of harmful substances, including drugs, pollutants, and carcinogens. It helps the liver process and eliminate these toxins from the body^{. [5]} It is actually used in hospitals by Doctors on patients who have liver failure.
   • Anti-Inflammatory Effects By reducing oxidative stress and supporting the immune system, glutathione can help to alleviate inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is linked to various health conditions, so reducing it can have positive effects on overall health. ^.[6]
   • Skin Health Glutathione is known for its skin brightening and clearing ^[7], and has pigmentation lowering effects. It can help with issues such as melasma and hyper pigmentation. ^[8] In high dose (2400mg) over a course injections (typically 6 over a 6 week period) taking glutathione will lighten the colour tone of your skin.
   • Neurological Health Glutathione plays a role in protecting the brain and nervous system. It may have neuroprotective effects and could potentially be beneficial in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. ^[9]
   • Cardiovascular Health Antioxidants, including glutathione, may contribute to cardiovascular health by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. This could help prevent conditions such as atherosclerosis and heart disease.^[10]

The most efficient and efficacious delivery of glutathione is via IV administration, as it allows for better absorption and higher bioavailability of glutathione compared to oral supplementation. This is because, when taken orally, glutathione may be broken down in the digestive system, potentially limiting its absorption.

Effect Doctors can deliver doses of between 600mg to 3000mg intravenously and can also do a 600mg shot of glutathione intra muscularly

Citations

1. Glutathione | C10H17N3O6S | CID 124886 – PubChem (nih.gov)
2. Labarrere CA, Kassab GS. Glutathione: A Samsonian life-sustaining small molecule that protects against oxidative stress, ageing and damaging inflammation. Front Nutr. 2022 Nov 1;9:1007816. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1007816. PMID: 36386929; PMCID: PMC9664149. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9664149/
3. Glutathione Peroxidase 1 Activity and Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease. N Engl J Med 2003; 349:1605-1613
4. Wu G, Fang YZ, Yang S, Lupton JR, Turner ND. Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health. J Nutr. 2004 Mar;134(3):489-92. doi: 10.1093/jn/134.3.489. PMID: 14988435.
5. Jiang X, Du B, Zheng J. Glutathione-mediated biotransformation in the liver modulates nanoparticle transport. Nat Nanotechnol. 2019 Sep;14(9):874-882. doi: 10.1038/s41565-019-0499-6. Epub 2019 Jul 15. PMID: 31308501; PMCID: PMC7252432.
6. Singhal SS, Singh SP, Singhal P, Horne D, Singhal J, Awasthi S. Antioxidant role of glutathione S-transferases: 4-Hydroxynonenal, a key molecule in stress-mediated signaling. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2015 Dec 15;289(3):361-70. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2015.10.006. Epub 2015 Oct 23. PMID: 26476300; PMCID: PMC4852854.
7. (Ikeno H, Tochio T, Tanaka H, Nakata S. Decrease in glutathione may be involved in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2011 Sep;10(3):240-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1473-2165.2011.00570.x. PMID: 21896138.)
8. (Glutathione for skin lightening: a regnant myth or evidence-based verity?)
9. Iskusnykh IY, Zakharova AA, Pathak D. Glutathione in Brain Disorders and Aging. Molecules. 2022 Jan 5;27(1):324. doi: 10.3390/molecules27010324. PMID: 35011559; PMCID: PMC8746815.

Tan M, Yin Y, Ma X, Zhang J, Pan W, Tan M, Zhao Y, Yang T, Jiang T, Li H. Glutathione system enhancement for cardiac protection: pharmacological options against oxidative stress and ferroptosis. Cell Death Dis. 2023 Feb 16;14(2):131. doi: 10.1038/s41419-023-05645-y. PMID: 36792890; PMCID: PMC9932120.