How To Choose a Glutathione Supplement

Article Summary:

• Glutathione is generally recognized as having poor absorption in the body owing to its rapid enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract.
  
  
• Glutathione’s low bioavailability and poor absorption make most oral glutathione supplements ineffective in delivering the therapeutic benefits of this ‘master antioxidant’. 
  
  
• Nutritional supplement formulations that include S-Acetyl-Glutathione — engineered using nanotechnology — as a primary ingredient enhance the body’s ability to absorb glutathione.

You might already be aware of some of the therapeutic benefits of glutathione, such as its mechanism of action in detoxifying your body. As a powerful intracellular antioxidant, glutathione scavenges harmful free radicals, down-regulates oxidative stress, and supports the body’s normal inflammatory response.* Although the body produces and recycles glutathione naturally, the body’s natural level of glutathione becomes depleted with age, making supplementation necessary for maintaining an optimal glutathione level. 

Glutathione nutritional supplements are considered safe, with no severe adverse reactions having been observed in clinical trials.

Glutathione supplements are available in various modes of delivery, including oral, intravenous, topical, intranasal, and nebulized forms. The ease and convenience of oral glutathione supplements usually make it the method of choice. However, given the market’s saturation level,  consumers are flooded with countless options, so determining which oral glutathione supplement is right for you can be challenging.

Below, we discuss how to choose a glutathione supplement that supports natural detoxification pathways in your body and promotes optimal cellular functions.*

How To Choose a Glutathione Supplement: Understanding Poor Absorption

Glutathione is a tripeptide made of three amino acids — cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. In the body, glutathione exists in two states — reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG). Let’s first examine how the body absorbs glutathione to understand why it’s known as a conventionally difficult-to-absorb molecule.

• Oral glutathione is primarily absorbed in the upper jejunum of the small intestine. However, the gastrointestinal tract contains the enzyme gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), which breaks down extracellular glutathione and synthesizes glutathione at the intracellular level. It is the activity of GGT that limits the intact absorption of glutathione from an oral supplement.

• The intestinal enzyme γ-glutamyltransferase hydrolyzes — or dilutes — glutathione. The result is a low level of glutathione in the blood, which contributes to its low bioavailability and makes it difficult to increase glutathione levels — even with a significantly high intake of an oral supplement.

• Circulating glutathione eventually is eliminated from the body. The extracellular or circulating glutathione is degraded in the kidneys and eliminated from the body.

Glutathione’s poor absorption and bioavailability in the body mean we should consider several things when choosing a glutathione supplement. The table below summarizes key traits to look for in an effective glutathione supplement to ensure it supports your body’s functions.

With enhanced bioavailability and absorption, a glutathione supplement promotes detoxification pathways in your body for optimal antioxidant support.*

An Oral Glutathione Supplement With Superior Absorption and Efficacy 

SafeCell^® — developed by Tesseract Medical Research — is an innovative oral glutathione supplement formulation designed for superior absorption and efficacy. The supplement contains S-Acetyl-Glutathione, along with plant-derived enzymes, to increase intracellular glutathione levels and down-regulate oxidative stress in the body.* 

To enhance glutathione’s absorption in the body, SafeCell’s formulation is engineered using the patent-pending and revolutionary CyLoc^® – DexKey^® nanomolecular nutrient delivery technology. A CyLoc^® molecular matrix accompanied by a DexKey^® release agent enables the nano-delivery of S-Acetyl-Glutathione molecules (one molecule at a time) for optimal absorption. The Tesseract Effect^® transcends glutathione’s common absorption issues to maximize its therapeutic benefits as a master antioxidant and detoxifying agent.* The result is successful detoxification achieved at a level other glutathione supplements struggle to match.*

Citations

¹Tateishi N, et al. The Journal of Nutrition vol. 107,1 (1977): 51-60. doi:10.1093/jn/107.1.51

²Minich DM, Brown BI. Nutrients vol. 11,9 2073. 3 Sep. 2019, doi:10.3390/nu11092073

³Bruggeman BK, et al.  PloS one vol. 14,4 e0215815. 30 Apr. 2019, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0215815