Question
It seems every day there is a new antioxidant for sale that claims to be the best. Which one truly is the best?
Answer
The one you don’t hear much about—glutathione. Glutathione is the body’s most important antioxidant. But it’s not effective taken orally.
What is glutathione?
Glutathione is a molecule that performs many protective functions. It helps shield the body’s cells from destruction and disease, it aids in detoxification, and it helps the immune system function at its best.
Ideally our bodies make sufficient glutathione to resist illness, to slow aging and degeneration, and to prevent chronic and autoimmune diseases.
Stress and toxins deplete glutathione
However chronic stress, whether it is from pollution, poor diet, sleep deprivation, or excess sugar, eventually exhausts glutathione levels. Glutathione levels also decrease as a result of aging.
Unfortunately we can speed up the aging process even more with a poor glutathione status. This is because low glutathione increases our susceptibility to brain degeneration. It also increases the risk of such modern maladies as autoimmune disease, multiple chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue, or fibromyalgia.
You won’t find glutathione on the shelf next to the noni juice or the acai. That’s because glutathione isn’t effective if taken orally. However certain nutritional compounds such as n-acetyl-cysteine, Cordyceps, and milk thistle seed extract boost glutathione levels and activity. Glutathione can also be administered through the skin as a cream, intravenously, or nasally.
Enhancing glutathione activity has been shown to be especially effective in supporting many people with autoimmune disease as it plays a powerful role in modulating immune function. Ask us about new developments in glutathione nutrition and whether they might benefit you.
