What is glutathione and why you might not have enough of it?

Glutathione as a protector of the chronically ill.

Dear Sys. Today I bring you an article that offers a different angle. It is a “supplements and substances under a magnifying glass” sort of look that should help you understand better how they work, what they can assist you with, and which form we at Systers recommend (although we have already come close to this concept on some occasions). For today, we’ll have a look at one of our favourites - glutathione!

Glutathione is an endogenous antioxidant. That means that it is the body’s own molecule, which can be found in every cell of the body, including the mitochondria. In the liver, it participates in the detoxification of many substances that enter our body willy-nilly. In this way, the enzyme protects us from excessive stress.

What can we expect from glutathione?

It metabolises foreign substances
It supports the activity of the liver and kidneys (1, 2)
It helps the immune system fight infections (3)
It reduces oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, including allergies (4, 5)
It protects the intestinal wall and supports brain resistance (6, 7)
It benefits the activity of the heart and blood vessels (8)
It slows down ageing in the name of longevity (9)
It has a positive effect on female hormones and the activity of the thyroid gland (selenium, present in glutathione peroxidase, and a functional metabolism help protect the thyroid from oxidative damage and from the increase of autoantibodies levels; 10)
It helps to maintain motivation to act (in the brain, mainly in nucleus accumbens, it is associated with the capacity to make an effort to achieve a reward-based task; 11)

If you are young, healthy, full of energy, and your circadian rhythms are optimised (regular sleep, diet, and exercise), everything is alright and external glutathione could turn your beautifully adjusted processes on their head, so to speak.

The problem with this enzyme and its production is that as we grow older, its levels decrease and it can also be weakened by chronic ailments (digestive disorders, autoimmune diseases, weakened liver, hormonal imbalance, increased inflammation and chronic infection, for example the EB virus), excessive consumption of unvaried and processed foods and alcohol, prolonged increased exposure to harmful substances and toxins from the environment, insufficient or low quality sleep, irregular circadian rhythms, and elevated blood sugar levels.

In such cases of long-term oxidative stress, the consumption of glutathione is increased, its reserves are gradually depleted, and it is therefore important to increase its intake.

How to do it?

Glutathione is composed of three amino acids (cysteine, glycine, and glutamate), which is why the first choice is always the right foods. These include quality protein, rocket, broccoli, cauliflower, Savoy cabbage, radishes, kohlrabi, avocado, lentils, spinach, Brazil nuts, or liver. Milk thistle can also be helpful. Radishes, for example, contain sulforaphane that supports both the increase of glutathione levels and the NRF2 detoxification pathway. What an exciting substance! The precursor of glutathione is N-acetylcysteine, which also helps with headaches as well as before and after alcohol consumption (that’s why NAC and glutathione are kind of our anti-stress toys).

Another option is to activate this detox pathway by regular cold exposure.

Last but not least, you can supplement glutathione. However, it is very important to choose the right form whose digestion won’t begin in the stomach or the intestines and which won’t then be used for something else. Supplementing an inappropriate form might either simply not have any positive effect (remember the expensive poo?), or it could even make matters worse. Suitable bioavailable forms include infusion, inhalation, S-acetyl glutathione, and liposomal glutathione. We recommend the 20x more bioavailable Liposomal glutathione from NaturLabs that brings our Systers’ bodies one step closer to a happy longevity.

Are you in it with us? ????

With chronic enthusiasm and love,

Kristie