You may have seen glutathione trending on social media as the beauty and wellness industry’s “best-kept secret”. Although it is true that glutathione offers skin health benefits, its role goes far beyond aesthetics. Glutathione is a powerful natural antioxidant that supports essential health functions, including liver detoxification, cardiovascular health, kidney function, and nervous system balance.*
Incorporating glutathione-rich foods into your diet is a smart choice, but dietary sources alone may not provide optimal levels. A high-quality glutathione supplement can help fill nutritional gaps in your diet and provide targeted support. But with so many options available, how do you choose the best glutathione supplement for your liver? What factors help you determine the efficacy and bioavailability of a glutathione supplement?
Get the answers below regarding glutathione supplements, types, absorption challenges, and why you should consider an advanced glutathione formulation. Use the links below to jump ahead to different topics on the page.
Why is Glutathione A ‘Master Antioxidant’?
Glutathione is present in nearly every cell in the body, at the same concentration as glucose, potassium, and cholesterol, highlighting its prominent role in cellular functions. It is a metabolic, non-enzymatic antioxidant the body produces to counter oxidative stress, terminate the chain reactions triggered by free radicals, and protect cellular components against oxidative stress-induced damage.*
Glutathione exists in our cells in two forms — reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG). Although it is predominantly present in the reduced form (GSH), the ratio of GSH:GSSG establishes the intracellular redox potential, a key characteristic in the cellular environment.
The following table summarizes how glutathione works as a master antioxidant, protecting the body against various unwanted health conditions.
How does Glutathione Work as A ‘Master Antioxidant’? |
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| Antioxidant defense* |
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| Regulating cellular functions* |
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| Regenerating vitamins C and E* |
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| Nutrient metabolism* |
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How does Glutathione Detox the Liver?
As an antioxidant, glutathione helps detoxify metabolic products, such as lipid peroxides, and foreign compounds, including pollutants, heavy metals, and drugs. Glutathione is highly valued for its beneficial function in liver detoxification.* Because the liver’s primary role is to filter the blood and eliminate harmful compounds from the body, a high concentration of glutathione is found there.*
Glutathione works with several enzymes to regulate the liver’s complex detoxification pathways, helping to:
- Excrete heavy metals, such as mercury, from cells.*
- Neutralize and excrete Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and other oxidative chemicals.*
- Excrete drug metabolites from the body.*
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Role of Glutathione in Liver Detox |
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Glutathione Absorption Challenges
The level of glutathione in the body can be boosted by consuming foods rich in its precursors, including sulfur-containing amino acids, such as cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid. Lean meats, poultry, eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, and seeds are excellent sources of these amino acids. While these foods support the body’s natural production of glutathione, direct absorption of glutathione through oral intake is limited due to various factors.
The following table highlights some of the primary challenges of glutathione absorption through the oral route:
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Glutathione Absorption Challenges |
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Why Should You Consider A Glutathione Supplement?
The recommended oral glutathione intake is 500-1,000 mg daily. Supplement formulations typically contain 150 mg-1,000 mg of glutathione.
Unfortunately, clinical evidence1 indicates that consuming glutathione orally, even in high amounts, displays a limited rise in glutathione levels in the blood and in the cells. In contrast to unformulated glutathione, S-acetyl-glutathione as an oral supplement makes it easy to quantify intracellular glutathione, making it one of the primary reasons to consider taking this form as a glutathione supplement.
The following are some key benefits of including an acetylated glutathione supplement in your diet.
- Enhanced absorption: Supplements formulations utilize various formats, including nanotechnology and adding vitamin C, to enhance the absorption of glutathione supplements.
- Increasing the level of GSH in the body: Studies2 have shown that the daily supplementation of a GSH supplement is effective at enhancing the body’s level of GSH, thereby strengthening the body’s internal defense system.
- Promoting health functions: Taking a glutathione supplement daily is associated with many benefits and supporting health functions, including the nervous system, gastrointestinal system, immune function, endocrine system, and skin and hair health.*
Types of Glutathione Supplements
When taken at its suggested use, glutathione is well-tolerated with no adverse side effects. It is commercially available in different delivery formats — as an oral supplement, intravenous (IV) drip, intranasal drops or spray, and nebulous glutathione. The following table highlights the benefits and drawbacks of these different types of glutathione supplements.
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Types of Glutathione Supplements |
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| Oral Supplemen |
Advantage: Most popular and easy to use, cost-effective Drawback: Rapid metabolism in the intestine, limiting intact absorption. |
| Intravenous drip (IV) |
Advantage: Bypasses glutathione dilution in the gastrointestinal tract to slow glutathione metabolism. Drawback: Expensive and requires medical supervision. |
| Intranasal drops/spray |
Advantage: Bypasses the blood-brain barrier to slow glutathione degradation. Drawback: Nasal congestion affects the efficacy of intranasal glutathione drops/ spray. |
| Nebulous glutathione |
Advantage: A supplementary therapy to address certain respiratory conditions. Drawback: Limited data is available on the efficacy of this delivery method. |
How to Select the Best Glutathione Supplement?
Although the oral route is not considered the most effective delivery for glutathione supplements, it is the most common method. Glutathione powder, tablets, and capsules are preferred over other supplement types owing to their ease of usage. As a result, most research on glutathione’s bioavailability and absorption is based on oral supplements.
If considering an oral supplement, then the next question is selecting the best glutathione supplement. The following table highlights some factors you should consider when choosing an oral glutathione supplement:
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Choosing A Glutathione Supplement: Factors to Consider |
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Description |
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| Absorbability |
The acetylation of the sulfur atom prevents the decomposition of GSH and facilitates its absorption through the intestinal wall. As a result, S-acetyl-glutathione is considered the most readily-absorbed and effective form of oral glutathione. |
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| Phytonutrients |
Research indicates that nutritional interventions, including phytochemicals, minerals, and other phytonutrients, enhance circulating glutathione. |
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| Novel formulation |
Novel supplement formulations, including nanoformulations, enhance the likelihood of glutathione molecules crossing the plasma membrane, thereby enhancing its absorption in the body. |
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Including An Advanced Glutathione Supplement in Your Diet
An advanced glutathione supplement enhances the solubility and absorption of the active nutrient, even in microdoses. Different approaches are implemented to maintain the integrity of glutathione molecules in the gastrointestinal environment. An advanced supplement formulation enhances the bioavailability of glutathione by:
- Using the acetylated form of glutathione as an ingredient: S-Acetyl-Glutathione is more readily absorbed and is a highly stable form of glutathione that displays optimal absorption.
- Implementing nanotechnology for nutrient delivery: A nanostructured nutrient delivery system encapsulates glutathione molecules to maintain the integrity and stability of the formulation.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About Glutathione Supplements
Is it safe to take a glutathione supplement during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
There is limited data on the safety and efficacy of prolonged glutathione supplementation during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Consult your healthcare provider before including a glutathione supplement in your diet during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Can I take a glutathione supplement with a prescription medicine?
There is limited data on the potential contraindications of glutathione with prescription medicines. Consult your healthcare provider before taking a glutathione supplement with a prescription medicine.
How do you determine the efficacy of a glutathione supplement formulation?
Enhanced bioavailability and absorption of glutathione are the critical indicators of a supplement formulation’s efficacy.
Tesseract Medical Research’s SafeCell® is an innovative, hypoallergenic S-Acetyl-Glutathione complex formulated for optimal bioavailability and absorption. Tesseract’s proprietary CyLoc® – DexKey® nutrient delivery nanotechnology encases each glutathione molecule, protecting it from early degradation during transit through the stomach. The accompanying DexKey® reactors enable targeted delivery of the active ingredient molecules for enhanced absorption. The result is unprecedented absorption of glutathione in lesser amounts than previously required to support your liver health.*
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in enhancing palatability, maximizing absorption and bioavailability, and micro-dosing multiple nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Shop products on our website and learn more about how they can help support your liver health.*
Citations:
1Giustarini D, et al. How to increase cellular glutathione. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 12,5 1094. 13 May. 2023, doi:10.3390/antiox12051094
2Richie JP Jr, et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. European journal of nutrition vol. 54,2 (2015): 251-263. doi:10.1007/s00394-014-0706-z
