Increasing Tissue Glutathione Levels

It is clear that those with the highest Glutathione levels are likely to live the longest in the best of health. A number of ways have been demonstrated to increase Glutathione (GSH) and the Glutathione enzymes, Glutathione peroxidase (G-Px) and Glutathione reductase (GR).


Several small studies have shown that moderate, prolonged physical exercise increases Glutathione and its related enzyme levels in the blood and skeletal muscles.



Many vitamins and nutritional supplements are also Glutathione boosters. Lipoic acid, pine bark extract (pycnogenol), melatonin, bilberry, grape extract, and turmeric have all been shown to elevate Glutathione. Oral glutamine may also raise tissue Glutathione levels, although there are conflicting reports.



I used to think that oral Glutathione was destroyed in the stomach, and was not effective in raising Glutathione concentrations. However, Dr. Steve Edelson, of the Edelson Center for Environmental and Preventive Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, kindly sent me a number of articles that convinced me otherwise. These articles demonstrated that about 80 percent of oral Glutathione is absorbed intact, and that the blood levels remain elevated for about three hours (Fig. 6)

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Why is Glutathione Essential to Health?

Glutathione's three major roles in the body are summarized by the letters A-B-C.

- Anti-oxidant- Blood Booster- Cell Detoxifier

How Do You Know if You Need to Detoxify?

Everyone should detox at least once a year. A short detoxifying program is generally safe; in fact, scientific studies show that a detox is beneficial for health.

However, cautions against detoxifying for nursing mothers, children, and patients with chronic degenerative diseases, cancer or tuberculosis. ***Consult your health care practitioner if you have questions about whether detoxing is right for you.

Today, with more toxins in the environment than ever, "it's critical to detox," says Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D., the author of Detoxification (Healthy Healing Publications).

Page recommends detoxing for symptoms such as unexplained fatigue, sluggish elimination, irritated skin, allergies or low-grade infections; bags under the eyes; a distended stomach even if the rest of your body is thin; menstrual difficulties; or mental confusion.

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How Does Detoxification Work?

Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. It does this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin.

However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected.

A detox program can help the body's natural cleaning process by:

1) Resting the organs through fasting;

2) Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;

3) Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;

4) Improving circulation of the blood; and

5) Refueling the body with healthy nutrients.

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10 Ways to Detoxify Your Body

1. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.

2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.

3. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.

4. Drink at least 2 quarts of water daily.

5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.

6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions.

7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes.

8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.

9. Dry-brush your skin or try detoxifying patches or foot baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at natural products stores.

10. What is the most important way to detoxify? "Exercise," says Bennett. "Yoga or jump-roping are good. One hour every day." Also try qigong, a martial-arts based exercise system that includes exercises specifically for detoxifying or cleansing, as well as many other exercises with specific health benefits.

After a detoxification program, you can cleanse your body daily through diet, supplements and lifestyle practices.

Detoxifies your bodyAntioxidants are well documented and known to possess vital roles in health maintenance and disease prevention. Glutathione is your cell's own major antioxidant.

Glutathione and its benefits in an anti-aging

FACTS about Glutathione and its benefits in an anti-aging program:

• Glutathione is a material that is found naturally in the human body

• As we age our bodies levels of Glutathione start to decline, necessitating the need for supplementation

• Glutathione is the master antioxidant and plays an important role in our overall health

• As we age our body may accumulate toxins; Glutathione protects the body from many toxins we come into contact with every day

• As we age we are subjected to numerous heavy metals, in the food we eat and the air we breathe; Glutathione is known to rid the body of heavy metals such as Mercury

• When we exercise our body uses up its stores of antioxidants; Glutathione is known to improve athletic performance and to help us keep going longer

• As we age our immune system becomes weaker; Glutathione can keep the immune system functioning at its peek.

We also suggest to click here to read this article that will demonstrate to you why Glutathione is so important to your health and well-being.

Aging Phenomenon

The incidence and mortality rates from most cancers increase exponentially with age. It is likely that this aging phenomenon is partially due to specific changes that occur in the host resulting in an increased susceptibility to neoplasia. Our hypothesis is that one such host factor is a deficiency in GSH, based on the importance of this compound in the detoxification of a wide variety of exogenous and endogenous carcinogens and free radicals, as well as in the maintenance of immune function.
American Health Foundation, Valhalla, New York 10595.
PMID: 1426093 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Another Great Reason to Quit Smoking

Cigarettes also contribute to glutathione deficiency because they speed up the rate of glutathione usage in the body. If you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, you should quit smoking. If you don’t have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, you should quit smoking.

Notes: Always consult with your health practitioner before you start or stop any routine that may affect your Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. For management of your symptoms, try Max GXL . This safe and natural supplement has been proven effective against Chronic Fatigue.

Glutathione's three major roles in the body are summarized by the letters A-B-C.
- Anti-oxidant
- Blood Booster
- Cell Detoxifier

Food Sources of Glutathione

If you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome you know that a healthy diet will be essential to manage your symptoms. If you and your health practitioner have concluded that you are glutathione deficient, you will want to be sure you are incorporating food sources of glutathione into your diet as much as possible. Glutathione is especially rich in the following foods:
· Asparagus
· Avocado
· Walnuts

Other food sources of glutathione include:
· Frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables
· Fish
· Meat

Learn more about Glutathione (GSH) in Our Body click here

Dietary Supplements to Optimize Glutathione

Glutathione is primarily made by the body, but can be supplemented by diet. Supplements you can take to boost your body’s glutathione levels include:
· 1000 mg Vitamin C
· Natural Vitamin E
· Increased sulfur intake
· 500 mg n-acetyl cysteine
· 50-250mg glutathione

Notes: Your health practitioner may also suggest intravenous, intramuscular, or aerosol administration of glutathione supplements for increased effectiveness.

Some well-known causes of glutathione depletion are as follows:
1) Acidic lifestyle and diet
2) Air and Water pollution
3) Prescription and recreational drugs
4) Ultraviolet and Radiation from cells phones, computers, electrical cars,power lines, hair dryers, etc.
5) Emotional and physical stress
6) Injury, trauma or burns
7) Heavy metals
8) Cigarette smoke
9) Household chemicals
10) Acetaminophen poisoning
11) Exhaust from motor vehicles
12) Septic shock

Learn more about Glutathione (GSH) in Our Body click here

Glutathione Deficiency in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients

Research has reported that glutathione is depleted in people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and that this deficiency causes their muscular fatigue and myalgia.

It is also speculated that depleted levels of glutathione allow viral and toxin exposures to trigger cell dysfunction and lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Chronic viral infections, toxins, chemicals, and elevated hormones can promote the conditions that deplete the liver’s glutathione stores. These are all linked to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome too.

Low glutathione also contributes to metal and chemical sensitivity that is associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

*** Detoxifies your bodyAntioxidants are well documented and known to possess vital roles in health maintenance and disease prevention. Glutathione is your cell's own major antioxidant. Maintaining elevated glutathione levels aids the body's natural antioxidant function.Biochemical Pharmacology 47: 2113-2123 1994 learn more...

Nutritional Supplements for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Your physician will likely perform some laboratory testing to assess nutrient deficiencies. Consult a nutritionally oriented physician for proper selection, dosing, and safe application of the following treatments.

• High potency multiple vitamin and mineral supplement.

• Consider additional antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E.

• Co-enzyme Q 10.
o One study found that 80% of chronic fatigue syndrome patients are deficient and supplementation led to significant improvement.
o This nutrient is also an essential component of cellular energy production. It can be depleted from the body by certain medications, such as statin drugs for lowering cholesterol.

• L-Carnitine
o An amino acid that is required for cellular energy production.
o Deficiency of carnitine has been documented in some CFS sufferers and supplementation has led to improved energy in a preliminary study.
o One third of CFS patients respond to supplementation with carnitine.

• L-Tryptophan.
o Depressed in 80% of chronic fatigue syndrome patients.
o Supplemented in the form of 5-hydroxy tryptophan (5-HTP).

• Essential fatty acids.
o EFAs are fatty acids (also known as Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids) which are essential to life, but which cannot be produced in the body and must be taken in through diet.
o One study found that after 3 months of treatment, 85% of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome reported improvement, compared to 17% of controls.

• Myer's Cocktail
o An intravenous (IV) vitamin and mineral treatment with relieves symptoms in about 50% of cases of CFS.

• Vitamin B12
o B12 deficiency seen in 30% of chronic fatigue syndrome patients (Wallach).
o Deficiency symptoms include fatigue and depression.
o Even people without documented B12 deficiency report improved energy levels after supplementation.
o Dosing is best if given as an intramuscular injection or sublingually (under the tongue).
o The preferred form of B12 supplementation is methyl- or hydroxycobalamin, rather than cyanocobalamin.

• Folic acid.
o Deficient in a subset of CFS patients.
o Deficiency can lead to immunosuppression, fatigue and depression.
o Supplementation for 3 months lead to improvement in 1 study.

• Vitamin C.
o Deficiency symptom: fatigue and depression.

• NADH (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)
o NADH is an important nutrient in cellular energy production.
o Preliminary studies have found it to be effective in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

• Magnesium.
o Magnesium is involved in every energy dependent reaction in the body. It is depleted with chronic stress.
o CFS patients typically report improved energy with supplementation of magnesium.

• Potassium and magnesium aspartate has shown benefit for people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

• Sodium
o Supplementation may be of benefit in people with low adrenal function or neurally mediated hypotension.

• Zinc.
o Frequently deficient in CFS.
o Deficiency symptoms: immunodepression, muscle pain, and fatigue.

• Antioxidant treatment:
o Vitamin E
o Vitamin C
o Selenium. Supports glutathione levels.
o Glutathione. Directly increases glutathione levels.
o N-Acetyl Cysteine. Raises glutathione levels.
o Alpha Lipoic Acid. Increases intracellular glutathione.
o Co-Q 10. Improves energy production. Neuroprotective.