Chasing the good life
People nowadays are using a very effective product to improve their health and skin, which is called glutathione. It comes in cream, soap, infusion and capsule form too, because it really helps in improving your skin and energy levels. So is it the new fad that people are running behind or is glutathione really helpful? Let’s check it out closely.
Glutathione (GSH) is referred to as the master antioxidant or mother of all antioxidants. It is basically made of three amino acids namely glutamic acid, glycine and cysteine. GSH is the main antioxidant in our body and can be found in virtually every cell, but the highest concentration is always found in the liver.
From liver, it is carried in the bile to the intestine from where it is absorbed in the circulatory system further and is distributed throughout the body. Under normal conditions GSH is not an essential nutrient for us, since it can be synthesised in the body from its component amino acids.
But viruses, bacteria, heavy metal toxicity, radiations, certain medications, and even the normal process of aging can cause stress and damage to the healthy cells and deplete GSH. A study found that the GSH antioxidant system is imbalanced in liver diseases, which leads to an increase in oxidative stress.
Let’s look into the benefits of this super powerful antioxidant:
Glutathione helps in warding off the impact of oxidative stress that’s produced in the body on a day-to-day basis, which in turn keeps you healthy and stress-free.
Glutathione helps in improving the protein levels, various enzymes and bilirubin levels in the blood, especially for people suffering with alcoholic and non-alcoholic chronic fatty liver disease. This clearly indicates that it acts as a superb antioxidant to cleanse the liver and improve overall health.
It also plays an important role in weight management and improving insulin resistance.
Glutathione being the master antioxidant works to protect cell mitochondria by eliminating free radicals which means it even reduces stress from each and every cell of the body that helps in building immunity.
It also works on improving nerve functioning, which suggests that it also helps people suffering with brain or nervous system-related disease. These are a few of the benefits of this mighty antioxidant. Food that improves GSH production naturally in the body are avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, asparagus, garlic and onion. Curcumin and cumin seeds also help boost GSH levels.
Other vitamins and minerals acting as catalysts for GSH production are B-complex vitamins, Vitamin D, A, E & C and few minerals like zinc, selenium etc. Glutathione indeed has many health benefits, but never try the supplements without any guidance because our body too is capable of producing it naturally!
(The writer is a clinical nutritionist with a focus on healthy lifestyle choices)