Glutathione is an integral component present in every cell in the human body that ensures our health and wellbeing. It is particularly crucial when it comes to detoxing and ridding the body of toxins.
Key Things to Know about Glutathione
To understand glutathione and its efficacy for the human body, one needs to understand what it is all about. For beginners, it is a type of protein that is primarily constituted of three types of amino acids, namely glycine, cysteine and glutamate.
It is produced and stored within the human body and remains functional in active and passive forms. When active, glutathione is focused on ridding the body of toxins and preventing the onset of certain morbidities and diseases.
Glutathione can aid in the following:
- Protecting the body from carcinogens and toxins one is exposed to on a daily basis.
- Ensuring DNA repair.
- Preventing oxidative cell damage.
- Activating enzymes in the body to aid health and wellbeing.
How Does Glutathione Help Detox the Body?
Though glutathione is present in each and every cell of the human body, the concentration is highest in the liver. Glutathione metabolises molecules that, in turn, are eliminated from the body. It acts as the binding agent and ultimately expels them out.
The way glutathione works is that it binds harmful toxins before they can attach themselves to tissues and cells. It not only binds the toxins but also turns them into a form that is easy to eliminate from the body. It breaks the fat-soluble toxins to water-soluble toxins so that they can be removed via urine and sweat.
How Can You Maintain Optimum Glutathione Levels in Your Body?
The process of aging sets your body back in the production of glutathione. This is essentially saying that as you grow older, your body produces less of this protein.
There are certain external factors that exacerbate this decline of glutathione. These include an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking, stress and overexposure to pollution and dirt.
Unfortunately, the modern-day lifestyle people in most urban and semi-urban areas lead puts us at the risk of reducing glutathione in the body.
However, certain foods can boost the production of glutathione in the body. These include leafy greens such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and other greens. Garlic and onion are also known to boost the production of glutathione in the body.
While at it, you must take care to reduce stress levels and try to be happy and mindful. This is also beneficial for the overall health and wellbeing of the body.
Sometimes, food and diet needs to be complemented with supplements to boost the level of glutathione in the body. Some supplements that are helpful include curcumin, vitamin C and vitamin E.
Staying hydrated is of paramount importance and you should actually meet required targets and not let your body get dehydrated. This may have negative impacts on your organs and the skin.
Avoiding chemicals in any form is also key to boosting glutathione levels. This includes avoiding chemical shampoos, cosmetics and the likes. Switching to organic options is certainly going to stand you in good stead.
Furthermore, you should always take some time out for physical activity. A combination of strength and cardio works best. A morbid lifestyle is the biggest enemy of humankind in the present day and age and that should be contested as much as possible.
Lastly, you should limit your exposure to pollution. Some of this can be difficult to achieve considering the perils of climate change has already made air around us poisonous but as far as possible, the focus should be to breathe in cleaner air.
How to Naturally Boost Glutathione in Your Body?
Glutathione is indispensable to the body. Here is how you can naturally aid its production in the body.
Maintain Vitamin C Levels
Vitamin C is great at maintaining glutathione levels in the body. It is also a great antioxidant that shields the body from oxidative damage. Consuming vitamin C is known to boost glutathione levels in white blood cells in adults.
Naturally, citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C as are potatoes, peppers and strawberries. But you will also have to rely on supplements.
Best Vitamin C Supplements
Some of the most popular vitamin C supplements include:
A word of caution, however, would be to run these through your doctor. You should check if they would suit you and what quantities would be ideal for you. Remember, when it comes to supplements, one size doesn’t fit all.
Pay Attention to Your Diet
Diet is a great way to make up for certain lacks. Though it may not be 100% effective, it does ensure health and well-being. Some of the foods that are rich in glutathione include:
- Selenium-Rich Foods: Cottage cheese, brown rice, nuts, chicken, fish and meat are good sources of such foods.
- Sulfur-Rich Foods: Mustard greens, kale and watercress are some of the foods that are rich in sulfur that may boost glutathione in your body.
- Add milk thistle to your diet as it is known to naturally boost glutathione.
Watch Your Sleep Cycle
It is criminal how much we underestimate the value of a good and healthy sleep cycle. There is scientific data to showcase that poor sleep cycles can actually negatively impact the glutathione levels in the body.
If you have trouble with sleep, you need to restore it as soon as possible. Having a fixed schedule and sticking to it, leaving aside distractions can be a good start.
Consume Whey Protein and Turmeric Extract
Whey protein and turmeric extract are known to boost glutathione levels in the body. Turmeric is a rich source of curcumin and can boost glutathione levels and aid better functioning of glutathione enzymes.
Likewise, whey protein, which is a good source of cysteine, can boost glutathione levels.
Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol is detrimental to the levels of glutathione in your body. It also aids liver degeneration and pancreatitis. Alcohol leads to oxidative stress that pejoratively impacts the glutathione levels.
Benefits of Glutathione
There are a lot of benefits of glutathione for the human body. Some of these include:
A Powerful Detox Agent
Glutathione is a powerful detox agent that eliminates toxic elements in the body in the form of sweat and urine. It helps proper functioning of the liver, kidney and intestine.
It is considered a ‘super antioxidant’ for a reason. In fact, it is potent and can also remove toxins from the environment.
People who have optimum levels of glutathione in their body are successfully able to delay skin aging and have a healthier, brighter and shinier skin.
While it is great at detoxification, it does a great job at boosting energy and immunity. This is why it is a key ingredient in several skincare supplements and energy tonics.
Builds Immunity against Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and diabetes saps all energy from the body making it weak and wriggled. Glutathione is great at providing immunity against these diseases.
Bodies that have ample amounts of glutathione in the body are adept at dealing with these by countering oxidative stress.
Promotes Healthy Liver Health
Glutathione is effective in shielding the liver from cell damage. Its detoxification abilities and oxidative properties make it super useful in treating conditions such a fatty liver disease.
Helps Manage Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin imbalance is behind several problems in the body. Glutathione helps manage this sensitivity and prevents insulin imbalance and resistance in the body. In fact, people who have high insulin resistance are almost always lacking in optimum glutathione levels in their bodies.
Effective At Treating Autism Related Disorders
Children suffering from autism are known to have a less than desired amount of glutathione in their body. This is why there is research to show that glutathione supplements may reduce the symptoms in such children.
Helps People with Parkinson’s Disease
Glutathione is known to be effective for people suffering from Parkinson’s. Glutathione supplements are known to benefit people who have Parkinson’s, according to a study published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
How Long Does It Take to Boost Your Glutathione Levels in the Body?
Once you have taken charge of your health and improved your diet, sleep cycle and made significant lifestyle changes, you may wonder how long will it take to boost glutathione levels in your body.
Well, unfortunately, it is not magic and you will not see change overnight. This is the same as any change in the body. For instance, no weight loss program will give you results overnight.
The same goes for glutathione. In fact, for results to show up you may have to wait for at least six months if not more.
Is Intravenous Nutrient Therapy Effective?
IV treatments have been around for the longest time and essentially involve infusing certain nutrients in the body to make for a lack. The same applies to glutathione that involves an instant push in the levels by injecting it orally into the body.
Though IV treatments are gaining momentum, particularly among the rich and privileged, there is little evidence to back up their benefits at a macro level. This is why resorting to more structured lifestyle changes is a more effective route to take.
However, there is nothing threatening or unsafe about IV treatments if done under the supervision of a trained professional. You must take it with a pinch of salt though and not expect radical changes but only a momentary boost.
You may feel that you are rejuvenated but that doesn’t mean you lead an unhealthy life. Remember, glutathione levels can be maintained optimally in the long run only by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Are There Any Side Effects of Glutathione?
Glutathione powder is known to have some side effects including body aches, body chills and low blood pressure. If you are looking for supplements, it is recommended that you consult a good doctor before choosing the one for yourself.
The Final Word
Glutathione is a wonderful element that can make a ton of difference to your body’s well-being. It can be naturally produced and stored in the body but one needs to be cautious as they age because age reduces the body’s ability to produce optimum levels of glutathione.
Several studies have found the benefits of glutathione to be wide and varied. A balanced diet, optimum exercise and great supplements are the key to maintaining healthy glutathione levels in the body!