What is Glutathione? Glutathione, also known as GSH, is a considered the “master antioxidant.” It is a powerful, water-soluble protein that detoxifies your body and supports the physiological function of your body in a number of ways.
How does Glutathione act as an antioxidant and detoxifier? Glutathione’s actions as an antioxidant are amazing. Specifically it works as an “endogenous” antioxidant, which defends your body against toxins like benzenes, heavy metals, and pesticides. You ingest these in your body through your lungs, and digestive system. This is why your body develops the highest concentrations of Glutathione in your lungs and liver. Secondly, once your body has been exposed to these toxins, the glutathione in your body metabolizes them, even the cells they have already damaged, thus ridding your body of them and their damage. Oxidative damage from toxins such as these and lower glutathione levels have been linked to these problems:
- Aging
- Deterioration in physiological function (vision, hearing, sex drive, etc.)
- Presence of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, and other mental disorders like bipolar, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, ADHD, etc.
How does Glutathione support the physiological function and decrease the body’s deterioration? In addition to its detoxifying benefits, increased levels of glutathione boosts the blood in the body, benefiting you in through these actions:
- Increases longevity
- Increases collagen levels (thus, decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles)
- Enhances the immune system
- Increases the efficiency of the vitamin A, C, and E in your blood
- Promotes endurance in exercise
- Decreases muscle fatigue in exercise recovery
- Builds and repairs DNA, muscle tissues, and some vital hormones
- Reduces inflammation
- Increases energy levels
- Increases concentration
What causes decreased levels of glutathione? Glutathione deficiency is increased by poor diet and exercise, acidic diet and lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, prescription and recreational drugs, and exposure to toxins such as heavy metals, benzenes, and pesticides through air and water pollution as well as exposure to ultraviolet rays and radiation through cellphones, computers, power lines, electric cars, etc. Unfortunately, in today’s world—even someone who eats well, exercises, and obtains from drugs and alcohol, still cannot completely eliminate their exposure to toxins or radiation. They are everywhere. Chances are, most people need to increase their levels of glutathione proactively.
How can you increase your levels of glutathione? There are a variety of ways one can attempt to increase their levels of glutathione. One is through diet and supplements, but there is very little room to assure that your body is getting enough glutathione because you can only take the precursors of various amino acids for that protein. Then you are at the mercy of your digestive system (which destroys most of the amino acids) to determine how much of the precursors will be left to actually make glutathione in the blood and whether or not your body will actually use those precursors to make the glutathione, or use it to make something else your body needs as well.
The other option is to increase levels of glutathione by getting it right into the bloodstream, thus bypassing the digestive system and increases chances of the body using the precursors to actually make the powerful antioxidant, glutathione.
Are glutathione injections safe and effective?Glutathione injections are definitely safe and effective. Our body needs it as it is considered one of the strongest antioxidants for the liver. (The liver is considered in Chinese Medicine to be the “General of the Army” in helping the body to detox. It needs Glutathione to help in this task).