The Master Antioxidant - Guess Who?

Glutathione - the be all, and end all, of antioxidants.

Firstly, before I dive too deep into the importance & awesomeness of this nutrient, I want to share the definition an antioxidant. 

Antioxidant: A substance that inhibits oxidation or removes potentially damaging oxidizing agents in a living organism. 

Simply put, it fights the bad guys within the body and protects cells from metabolic stress and toxic chemicals.  It is able to drive heavy metals and toxins away from the brain and from the body.  It protects our DNA from damage, dampens down inflammation and helps ward off disease, including heart disease, cancer, neurological disorders, dementia and so on. On top if this it also optimizes immune function and keeps our mitochondria (the little parcels in our cells that are responsible for energy production) thriving. 

The reason why Glutathione is so great at supporting all of these body functions is because it recycles antioxidants.  It is involved in detoxification, binding to toxins such as heavy metals, solvents, pesticides etc. and transforms them into something that can be removed from the body. 

Free radicals are also something that’s worthwhile understanding when we talk about detoxification.  These are unstable atoms that can damage cell, causing illness and aging caused by exposure to toxins - environmental or otherwise.  They cause oxidative stress.  (Oxidative stress is what damages the body’s cells).  These free radicals get passed between antioxidants like vitamins C, E & lipoic acid & then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals prior to recycling the antioxidants. 

Studies illustrate that glutathione is “the most important molecule we need to stay healthy and prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer’s disease.” Yet most of us have never heard of it and without it we are vulnerable to oxidative stress, the precursor to many disorders associated with inflammation, allergies and disease. 

So basically, glutathione is the superhero of the immune system.  I mean… where’s it’s cape? Without it, our liver get’s overloaded, sluggish & damaged, making it pretty hard to do its number 1 job of detoxification. 

I’m going to let you in on a secret - sulfur.  Glutathione contains this sticky, smelly molecule & guess what, because it’s smelly & sticky, bad things stick to it! Including the free radicals, toxins & heavy metals. 

So now, hopefully, you know that Glutathione is vital for healthy living & vitality. 

Our body actually naturally produces glutathione! And NORMALLY glutathione is recycled in the body, EXCEPT, when the load (the TOXIC load) becomes too great.  Which explains why many of us struggle with deficiencies in it and end up in trouble. 

On top of that there are certain things which deplete glutathione from our body, one is medication.  Yes, there is a time & place for medicine, but it’s good to be aware that prescriptive drugs will deplete our stores of glutathione, which means that if we are taking prescriptive meds we need to supplement with glutathione too. 

Other lifestyle factors that deplete our body of glutathione can include, age, toxins from poor diet, alcohol, pesticides, pollution, medications, stress, trauma, infections, household cleaners, paint products, heavy metals (mercury, lead, copper etc), x-rays, UV radiation & electromagnetic fields, over training & lack of sleep. 

Who here has heard of Dr Mark Hyman? If you haven’t give him your Instagram follow.  This is what he says. “In treating chronically ill patients with Functional Medicine for more than 10 years, I have discovered that glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very ill patients.  These include people with chronic ftigue syndrome, heart disease, cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney problems, liver disease and more.  At first I thought that this was just a coincidental finding, but over the year I have come to realise that our ability to produce and maintain a high level of glutathione is critical to recovery from nearly all chronic illness and to preventing disease and maintaining optimal health and performance”.

On top of that, if you’re like me & like geeking out on this stuff, check out the BMJ, The Lancet, which found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly & the LOWEST in all of the hospitalized elderly. 

Now, where do we get Glutathione from & how do we make sure we maintain good levels?

ENJOY YOURSELF A DIET RICH IN COLOURFUL FRUIT & VEGGIES

Because I mean, why supplement for something if we can manage it with diet? This means choosing colorful ORGANIC foods as these are the highest in nutrition & haven’t had their nutrients destroyed by pesticides.  Organic fruits & vegetables & their antioxidant powers & nutrients spare the use of glutathione & help to keep the levels high within our cells.  Although sometimes it’s not possible to purchase organic produce which I understand.  In this case the following points become more important.  I might mention here, that we don’t actually absorb a lot of glutathione from our foods but these foods will decrease oxidative stress & help MAINTAIN glutathione levels. 

FOCUS ON FOODS RICH IN SULFUR

Remember how I said before, that the secret ingredient in Glutathione was Sulfur? Sulfur is an important mineral that occurs naturally in some plant & protein foods & is required for the production of glutathione.  There are a number of studies that show that eating sulfur rich vegetables can reduce oxidative stress because they increase glutathione levels.  Some suggestions would include onions & garlic, green leafy vegetables (broccoli, kale, cabbage, watercress, asparagus, parsley), avocado, walnuts, egg yolks & poultry, beef & fish. Please make sure that you source them well!

LOOK AFTER YOUR LIVER

What is the primary role of our liver? Detoxification!!! We always want to take care of our liver & glutathione is the single most powerful antioxidant your body produces & recycles.  It’s made in the liver, so optimal liver function is essential.  If your liver isn’t functioning well, glutathione production suffers & toxins overload it.   

TOXIC LOAD

The most sensible way to improve your glutathione levels is by decreasing your toxic load.  Think about everything which you put on AND, in your body. Even consider the air that you breathe! It all makes a difference.  The more conscious we are of how we take toxins on board the more we can preserve our glutathione levels.  Here is an interesting fact (I think so anyway), people who regularly consume excessive amounts of alcohol can have an 80-90% decrease in lung glutathione! Also, there are over 80,000 toxic industrial chemicals found in our environment today and our livers struggle to keep up. Simply put, toxins deplete glutathione levels. 

STRESS LOAD

Surprise, surprise.  High stress levels + low glutathione levels.  Stress depletes glutathione.  If you don’t already meditate, breathe properly or practice any form of mindfulness – now might be the time to start. 

SLEEP TIGHT

Here’s what the research says.  When Glutathione levels were measured & compared between 30 healthy people & 30 people with insomnia, they found that those with insomnia had significantly lower glutathione activity.  Animal studies have also demonstrated that sleep deprivation = decreased glutathione levels. 

Moral: get enough sleep a night to help maintain your levels. 

CONSIDER TAKING A MULTI

Vitamins A, C, D, Zinc & Magnesium have all been shown to play a role in maintain glutathione levels.  So eating foods rich in these nutrients or taking a multi vitamin is likely to help increase your levels.

WHO EATS ORGANIC BRAZIL NUTS?

They are one of the richest food sources of Selenium and you guessed it – selenium helps the body recycle & produce even more glutathione. Win, win. 

But to achieve absolute optimal Glutathione levels I would supplement.  Because honestly, who is actually all over eating organic, meditating & being toxic free 100% of the time? 

Sometimes taking the vitamins & amino acids that help make the glutathione is enough, but sometimes we need to supplement with glutathione itself.  It really just depends on you & how your body is functioning. 

So here is Glutathione in a nutshell…

-          It is the single most powerful antioxidant your body produces and recycles

-          It is the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system

-          Toxins stick to glutathione, which carries them to the right pathways to be excreted from your body

-          Neutralizes and clear heavy metals and toxins from the body. 

-          It protects your DNA from damage

-          It maintains optimal immunity

-          It protects against free radicals, tamps down inflammation and helps fend off heart disease, cancer, neurological decline and dementia. 

-          Keeps your mitochondria (energy parcels) pumping out energy helping with peak mental and physical function.

-           Raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development. 

-          Delivers powerful anti-aging benefits.  ‘Cos low glutathione levels have been linked to every major aging process in the human body.  So by fighting back with glutathione, you can help keep your energy levels higher, for longer. 

As ever, I hope this information is in some way helpful to the health & lifestyle of your family.