Glutathione is an antioxidant, a type of chemical which helps to boost your immune system as well as prevent and reverse cellular damage. Unlike most antioxidants which come from the food you eat, glutathione is naturally produced by the body in the liver. Glutathione plays a number of roles in overall health including boosting the immune system, helping to break down nutrients in food, and protecting against chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, diabetes, some types of cancer, and heart disease. Glutathione levels tend to decrease naturally with age as well as due to health conditions such as liver disease, insomnia, and chronic stress.
- Glutathione is composed of cysteine, glutamine & glycine. Glutathione is a source of sulfate and plays a key role in antioxidant activity and detoxification of toxins.
- Glutathione is the most abundant and important intracellular antioxidant.
- Glutathione in erythrocytes is an indicator of intracellular Glutathione status, the overall health of cells and of the ability to endure toxic challenges.
- Glutathione is involved in many biological processes including detoxification of xenobiotics, removal of oxygen-reactive species, regulation of the redox state of cells and the oxidative state of important protein sulfhydryl groups, and regulation of immune function.
Low GSH contributes to oxidative stress and is thus a risk factor for many chronic diseases.
Deficiency may result in:
- oxidative stress & damage,
- impaired detoxification,
- altered immunity,
- macular degeneration
- and increased risk of chronic illness.
Low levels of GSH have been reported in:
- cardiovascular disease,
- cancer,
- AIDS,
- autism,
- alcoholism
- and debilitating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzhiemer's and Parkinson's.
It has also been associated with chronic retention of potential toxic elements such as:
- mercury,
- lead,
- arsenic,
- cadmium,
- manganese
- and iron,
- as well as chemicals and some drugs.
Intracellular GSH biosynthesis and intracellular levels can be upregulated as a protective mechanism.
Glutathione levels tend to decrease naturally with age as well as due to health conditions such as liver disease, insomnia, and chronic stress.
Understand and improve your laboratory results with our health dashboard.
Upload your lab reports and get interpretation today.
Our technology helps to understand, combine, track, organize, and act on your medical lab test results.
GSH requirement is increased with high-fat diets, cigarette smoke, cystinuria, chronic alcoholism, chronic acetaminophen use, infection, inflammation and toxic exposure.
Some factors that result in increased biosynthesis and "high normal" GSH levels include, but are not limited to, moderate alcohol consumption, smoking, regular physical exercise and acute exposure to toxic metals. Under such conditions it is essential to provide the body with the key nutrients involved in GSH synthesis in order to sustain functionally appropriate levels of GSH. Magnesium and potassium are required for both energy-dependent enzymatic steps in GSH synthesis, and cysteine is the rate limiting amino acid. Nutritional products that have been documented to increase erythrocyte GSH/GSH biosynthesis include α-lipoic acid, curcumin, oral liposomal GSH, nebulized GSH, and to a lesser extent, N-acetyl-L-cysteine.
Assessing and supporting appropriately high levels of GSH is important for protecting cells and promoting overall health and longevity, and contributes significantly to safe and effective metal detoxification.
Interpret Your Lab Results
Upload your lab report and we’ll interpret and provide you with recomendations today.
Get StartedGet Started With Our Personal Plan
Advanced Plan
Unlimited Plan
Are You a Health Professional?
Get started with our professional plan
Welcome to Healthmatters Pro.
Save time on interpreting lab results with the largest database of biomarkers online. In-depth research on any test at your fingertips, all stored and tracked in one place. Learn more
Pro Plan
for health professionals
$45 per month
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
Anti DNAse B Titer, Anti-Streptolysin O, Bordetella Pertussis (IgG/IgM), CA 125, Cat Dander, IgE, CD1656, Coenzyme Q10, Coenzyme Q10, Total, Diphtheria Antibodies, Heliocobater Pylori Antibody IgA (ARUP), Mercury, Metanephrine Plasma, Pyruvate, RMSF IGG (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), RMSF IGM (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), Rocky Mtn Spotted Fev, IgG, Qn, Special Stains, Tetanus Antibodies, Total Glutathione, Toxoplasma Antibody (IGG), Toxoplasma IgG, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Varicella-Zoster Antibody, IgG, Viscosity, Serum