Glutathione is an amino acid that drives many metabolic processes in the body. These include cellular repair and building, making proteins and other chemicals needed in the body, and the support of the immune system.
Despite all of the various benefits of glutathione, I don't recommend taking it as a supplement.
Get your
glutathione from whey. Your best source being organic, undenatured and cold or low-heat processed whey. Why?
Because according to wikipedia:
"Raising GSH levels through direct supplementation of glutathione is difficult. Research suggests that glutathione taken orally is not well absorbed across the gastrointestinal tract. In a study of acute oral administration of a very large dose (3 grams) of oral glutathione, Witschi and coworkers found "it is not possible to increase circulating glutathione to a clinically beneficial extent by the oral administration of a single dose of 3 g of glutathione."[26][27] However, it is possible to increase and maintain appropriate glutathione levels by increasing the daily consumption of cysteine-rich foods and/or supplements.[28]"Support reading:
Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants by Mark Hyman, MD
Video: Glutathione: The "mother" of all antioxidants...
This ONE Antioxidant Keeps All Other Antioxidants Performing at Peak Levels by Dr. Mercola and Ori Hofmekler
Undenatured Whey Protein & Glutathione
References
- Bounous G. Whey protein concentrate (WPC) and glutathione modulation in cancer treatment. Anticancer Res. 2000 Nov-Dec;20(6C):4785-92.
- Bounous G., Gold P. 1991. The biological activity of undenatured dietary whey proteins: role of glutathione. Clin Invest Med. Aug;14(4):296-309.
- Dickinson D., Iles K., Zhang K., Blank V., and Forman H. (2003) Curcumin alters EpRE and AP-1 binding complexes and elevates glutamate-cysteine ligase gene expression. J FASEB 17, 472.
- Donnini D., Zambito A.M., Perrella G; Ambesi-Impiombato F.S., Curcio F. Glucose may induce cell death through a free radical-mediated mechanism. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 219(2):412-7 1996 Feb 15.
- El-Hawary Z., El-Hawary M.F.S., Morcus S.R. 1977. Blood glucose, glutathione, and total keto-acids levels in alloxan-diabetic rats. Zeitschrift für Ernährungswissenschaft 16(4): 227-230.
- Fidelus R.K., Tsan M.F. Glutathione and lymphocyte activation: a function of aging and auto-immune disease. Immunology. 1987 61:503-508.
- Glutathione.
- Glutathione White Paper. Richard Van Konynenburg, PhD.
- Herbert F.K., Cotonio Bourne M., Groen J. 1930. The effect of glutathione on the determination of blood-sugar. Department of Chemical Pathology, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London.
- Higashi T., Tateshi N., Naruse A., Sakamoto Y. (1977) A novel physiological role of liver glutathione as a reservoir of L-cystein. J Biochem. 82, 117.
- Huh K., Kwon T.H., Kim J.S., Park J.M. Role of the hepatic xanthine oxidase in thyroid dysfunction: effect of thyroid hormones in oxidative stress in rat liver. Arch Pharm Res; 21(3):236-40 Jun 1998.
- Loven D., Schedl H., Wilson H., Daabees T.T., Stegink L.D., Diekus M., Oberley L. Effect of insulin and oral glutathione on glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase activities in organs of rats with streptozocin-induced diabetes.
- Meister A. (1983) Selective modification of glutathione metabolism. Science. 220, 472.
- Meredith M.J., Reed D.J. (1983) Depletion in vitro of mitochondrial glutathione in rat hepatocytes and enhancement of lipid peroxidation by adriamycin and 1,3Bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosaurea (BCNU). Biochem Pharmacol. 32, 1383.
- Powell L.A., Warpeha K.M., Xu W., Walker B., Trimble E.R. High glucose decreases intracellular glutathione concentrations and upregulates inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression in intestinal epithelial cells. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology. December 1, 2004 33:797-803.
- Seymen, O., Seven A., Candan G., Yigit G., Hatemi S., Hatemi H. The effect of iron supplementation on GSH levels, GSH-Px, and SOD activities of erythrocytes in L-thyroxine administration. Acta Med Okayama. 51(3):129-33 1997 Jun.
- Stohs S.J., Lawson T., Al-Turk W.A. (1984) Changes in glutathione and glutathione metabolizing enzymes erythrocytes and lymphocytes of mice as a function of age. Gen Pharmacol. 15, 267.
- Tsan M.F., Danis E.H., Del Vecchio P.J., Rosano C.B. (1985) Enhancement of intracellular glutathione protects endothelial cells against oxidative damage. Biochem Biophys. Res. Commun. 127, 270.
- Wellner V.P., Anderson M.E., Puri R.N., Jensen G.L., Meister A. (1982) Radioprotection by glutathione ester: transport of glutathione ester in human lymphoid cells and fibroblasts. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 4732.