Glutathione: The Mother Of All Antioxidants
Have we finally found it? The s
ecret to staying healthy, prevent aging, heart disease, cancer dementia, and much more? Glutathione has been referred to as the mother of all antioxidants and this little wonder does certainly seem to be something of which you’re going to want to make sure you have plenty.
Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd (unpaired) number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction of cell destruction and disease. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die when this occurs. It is this cell damage is responsible for not only aging but much of our chronic illness and disease.
To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that safely interact with free radicals and terminate those chain reactions before cell damage occurs. Because glutathione is an antioxidant that exists within the cells, it is in a prime position to neutralize free radicals. It also has potentially widespread health benefits because it can be found in all types of cells, including the cells of the immune system, whose job is to fight disease.
Glutathione is naturally produced by the liver but also found in foods like meat, fruits and vegetables. It’s involved in many processes in the body, including tissue building and repair, making chemicals and proteins needed in the body, and for the immune system.
Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development. Who wouldn’t want all THAT?
Now, before you go running out trying to find a bottle of this magical little antioxidant to supplement, evidence suggests that it’s not wel
l absorbed by the body when taken by mouth. There has been some success with injecting glutathione directly into a vein but that’s not exactly realistic for most of us.
There is good news, though! You can do several things to naturally boost your glutathione levels.
· Eat Sulphur Rich Foods- Sulphur rich foods can support glutathione production. Specifically garlic, onions, cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
· Whey Protein- Bioactive whey protein is a great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis but the type of whey protein used is important. It must be bioactive and come from non-denatured proteins--that is proteins that have not had their normal structure broken down.
· Exercise- Honestly, is there ANYTHING exercise doesn’t fix? I think not. ;) Seriously though, it’s been shown to boost glutathione levels, on top of boosting your immune system.
· Supplements- Although supplementing with glutathione may not be beneficial, the production and use of it in the body requires many different nutrients that you can supplement to boost production. These include: N-acetyl-cysteine, Alpha lipoic acid, Methylation nutrients: folate and vitamins B6 and B12), Selenium, Vitamins C and E, Milk thistle (silymarin)
AUT
HOR
Roni Davis
Nationally Qualified NPC Figure Athlete
Personal Trainer
Nutrition Consultant
Online Coach
www.facebook.com/RoniDavisFigureAthlete
Resources
Journal of Applied Physiology 87: 1381-1385, 1999
Sport Medicine 21: 213-238, 1996
Biochemical Pharmacology 47: 2113-2123 1994
Glutathione: Essential Health AID – Antioxidant. Immune Booster. Detoxifier, Dr. Jimmy Gutman, MD
www.webmd.com
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