What is glutathione?
Glutathione is a type of antioxidant that’s produced in our cells. Antioxidants are substances that help prevent or slow down damage to cells caused by free radicals. Three amino acids make up glutathione, which are glutamine, glycine, and cysteine.
Glutathione has many important functions, including:
- making DNA, the building blocks of proteins and cells
- supporting immune function
- forming sperm cells
- breaking down some free radicals
- helping certain enzymes function
- regenerating vitamins C and E
- transporting mercury out of the brain
- helping the liver and gallbladder deal with fats
- assisting regular cell death (a process known as apoptosis)
But does this actually mean and how can this antioxidant specifically benefit us? Here we take a look at why you may want to increase your levels of glutathione and how it could benefit you.
Benefits of glutathione
COVID-19
Some promising research into the role glutathione has within the body has shown strong links to glutathione levels and how serious COVID-19 affects an individual. The research suggests that low levels of glutathione could be one of the reasons people suffer severe symptoms and even death after contracting COVID-19.
Reduces oxidative stress
Too much oxidative stress in the body could be a precursor to multiple diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis. Glutathione helps reduce the impact of oxidative stress in the body which in turn, could reduce these types of diseases, or at least reduce the severity of them.
Anti-ageing
Many of the common signs of ageing are associated with decreased levels of glutathione. By supplementing with glutathione we can potentially slow down ageing in our bodies from a cellular level.
Autoimmune conditions
Glutathione helps reduce oxidative stress by either stimulating or reducing the body’s immunological response, and so it can lessen the severity of many autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, and lupus, and could help manage the symptoms by protecting the cell mitochondria.
Skin conditions
If you suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne scarring, sun spots or hyperpigmentation, there is some research that suggests glutathione could improve your skin. Although further research does need to be done in this area.
Boosting your glutathione levels
Getting enough rest on a regular basis can help increase your glutathione levels, but insomnia or a lack of consistent quality sleep can lower your levels. Glutathione is found in some foods, such as rare meat and freshly picked fruit and vegetables, although cooking and pasteurization diminish its levels significantly. So it’s pretty difficult to substantially increase your glutathione levels naturally.
Our NAD+ Glutathione Push Injection is a simple and easy way to increase your glutathione levels in a time-efficient manner. To book your injection or to find out more about how glutathione can help you, contact the clinic.