Every minute of every day, our cells are under attack. Whether from physical damage, chemical exposure, or just natural processes - free radicals break cell walls and disrupt DNA replication leading to internal and external signs of aging. Cellular damage is at the heart of wrinkles, energy disruption, inflammation and the development of chronic diseases.
Thankfully, our body is well designed with counter-attack methods of protecting us including antioxidants. When we hear ‘antioxidants’, we usually think of foods that are considered rich in them - foods like blueberries, oranges, brazil nuts, goji berries or cacao. All of these foods do contain high levels of antioxidants, but we often overlook our own powerful antioxidants produced within.
Glutathione is one such antioxidant that we make ourselves. It is found in almost every cell and is often referred to as the body’s master antioxidant because it can regenerate other antioxidants like the famous vitamin C molecule. It’s pretty incredible. In a 2014 editorial paper, author and scientist Joseph Pizzorno states, “It is hard to overstate the importance of glutathione”.1
WHY IS GLUTATHIONE GETTING ALL THE HYPE
Glutathione is produced in the liver and supports detoxification, helping to rid your body of toxins and waste.2 It helps to combat oxidative stress, which in turn, helps reduce disease and aging. Maintaining a healthy level of glutathione has been proven to support a number of various body processes including: liver function, pulmonary function, immune function, bowel health, carbohydrate metabolism, cardiovascular health, cognitive health, and eye health.3
The work of glutathione does not stop there, maintaining optimal levels is also believed to be an important factor in healthy aging. While glutathione activity decreases naturally throughout the normal aging process,4 causing oxidative stress and a decline in cognitive function, negative lifestyle behaviours such as stress, smoking or poor diet, and adverse environmental conditions, including pollution and toxins, can speed up this process.
Glutathione depletion is linked to a wide range of diseases of our brain, lungs, immune system and heart.1,5 For our skin, this leads to accelerated aging with wrinkles, pigmentation, dull skin and poor wound healing.6
HOW TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY LEVELS OF GLUTATHIONE
There are three key strategies to ensuring good levels of glutathione in the body:
Prevent Glutathione Depletion
Although glutathione can regenerate itself (through the enzyme glutathione reductase), it isn’t unlimited and can be depleted. The biggest threat to glutathione levels is something totally out of our control: aging. But stress, toxins, smoking, poor sleep, processed food, environmental pollution and other lifestyle factors increase its use and will speed up depletion.1
Maintain The Natural Production Of Glutathione In The Body
Maintaining an optimal level of glutathione can help manage the health concerns that come with the natural aging process and implementing behaviours that can prevent early onset of low glutathione levels is important. In order to maintain and optimize your glutathione levels, ultimately supporting your body’s health, here are a few simple things to keep in mind:
Exercise: A steady habit of getting regular exercise can help maintain your glutathione levels. However, if you are an athlete participating in high-intensity exercise, then your need for glutathione can be higher. Intense exercise for prolonged periods of time, such as training and competition, can create more oxidative stress and damage, so athletes have a higher need for antioxidants.
Anything that exceeds 60-90 minutes daily significantly decreases glutathione levels in the blood, so supplementation is beneficial.7
Sleep: Irregular sleeping patterns can affect us negatively in many ways, only one of which is lowering levels of glutathione in your body. This can create a chronic state of oxidative stress leading to the aforementioned health concerns. One study found that patients with insomnia had lower levels of glutathione activity than their healthy partners.8
Diet: Glutathione is composed primarily of three amino acids: glutamine, glycine, and cysteine.1 Sulfur contains the amino acid cysteine, so foods rich in sulfur, including beef, poultry, dark green vegetables can help your body make glutathione. Whey protein also contains cysteine making it a convenient and effective way to boost glutathione. Always look for a high-quality whey protein that is free of antibiotics, added hormones, or unnecessary additives like HUM2N’s Superblend whey formula.
HUM2N Superblend Whey Formula (Vanilla)
Boost Glutathione For Additional And Therapeutic Effects
Glutathione can be applied topically, taken orally, or administered intravenously. Studies show that glutathione therapy can help reverse wrinkles, increase elasticity, and reduce pigmentation for more even skin tone.9,10 Glutathione is amazing for brightening skin by deactivating the enzyme tyrosinase, which is what causes darker pigments to develop. In addition, boosting glutathione with external sources can ramp up detoxification, encourage healthy brain function, support athletic performance, and prevent cellular aging.1,9,10
If you’re interested in harnessing the rejuvenating benefits of glutathione therapy, HUM2N offers liposomal glutathione as a dietary supplement to boost intravenous glutathione levels. Oral supplementation doesn’t always do a good job of raising the body’s levels,11 so we have harnessed liposomal technology, which results in superior delivery, absorption and bioavailability. Liposomal delivery allows the glutathione to remain intact as it passes through the digestive tract to ensure it effectively reaches the target tissues.
IN SUMMARY
From supporting detoxification to reducing disease and aging, this master antioxidant, with its power to regenerate other antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E, is key both in terms of supporting your body's health on the inside and maintaining your youthful glow on the outside.
By working to reduce oxidative damage internally and externally, this powerful compound of glutathione can help to reduce sign of aging like wrinkles or age spots on the skin.
Here at HUM2N, we recommend supplementation with liposomal glutathione. Catalyst Lipsomal helps protect glutathione from breaking down in the stomach so it can be delivered directly into cells where they are needed most for maximum performance and reversal of common signs of aging.
Purchase today and you'll 15% off supplements until 30th October 2021.
CATALYST LIPSOMAL
References:
- Pizzorno J. Glutathione!. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2014;13(1):8-12.
- Glutathione (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-717/glutathione
- Uttara B, V. Singh A, et al. Oxidative Stress and Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Review of Upstream and Downstream Antioxidant Therapeutic Options. Current Neuropharmacology 2009; 7(1): 65-74
- Andersen H, Jeune B, Nybo H, et al. Low activity of superoxide dismutase and high activity of glutathione reductase in erythrocytes from centenarians. Age Ageing 1998;27(5):643-648.
- Ballatori N, Krance SM, Notenboom S, Shi S, Tieu K, Hammond CL. Glutathione dysregulation and the etiology and progression of human diseases. Biol Chem. 2009;390(3):191-214. doi:10.1515/BC.2009.033
- Agarwal, Prashant. (2017). Assessment of Anti-aging Efficacy of the Master Antioxidant Glutathione. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR). 33. 257-265.
- Kerksick C, Willoughby D. The Antioxidant Role of Glutathione and N-Acetyl-Cysteine Supplements and Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2005; 38 [BioMedCentral]
- Gulec M, Ozkol H, Selvi Y, et al. Oxidative stress in patients with primary insomnia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2012;37(2):247-251.
- Weschawalit S, Thongthip S, et al. Glutathione and its antiaging and antimelanogenic effects. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2017:10:147-153
- Handog EB, Datuin MS, Singzon IA. An open-label, single-arm trial of the safety and efficacy of a novel preparation of glutathione as a skin-lightening agent in Filipino women. Int J Dermatol. 2016;55(2):153-157. doi:10.1111/ijd.12999
- Allen J, Bradley RD. Effects of oral glutathione supplementation on systemic oxidative stress biomarkers in human volunteers. J Altern Complement Med. 2011;17(9):827-833. doi:10.1089/acm.2010.0716