We have all heard of antioxidants, but have we heard of the mother of all antioxidants? One that is the secret to prevent cancer, heart disease, aging, neurological issues and more? This single antioxidant has been studied in great depth yet most of us know nothing about it and many doctors have no idea how to address the epidemic of its deficiency in humans.
We are of course talking about
Glutathione (pronounced “gloota-thigh-own.”) This is a powerful
detoxifier and immune booster and is crucial to a healthy life. Although
the body does make some of its own Glutathione, poor food quality,
pollution, toxic environments, stress, infections and radiation are all
depleting out bodies glutathione.
What is Glutathione?
Glutathione is a simple molecule
produced naturally in the body at all times. It’s a combination of three
building blocks of protein or amino acids — cysteine, glycine and
glutamine.
The best part of glutathione is that is
contains sulfur chemical groups that work to trap all the bad things
like free radicals and toxins such as mercury and heavy metals in our
body then flush them out. This is especially important in our current
world of heavy metal bombardment.
Where Can You Get Glutathione?
The body makes it, but it’s often not enough in our strenuous environment. Here are some food sources that either contain glutathione or its precursors to help the body produce more.- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Avocados
- Peaches
- Watermelon
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Turmeric (Curcumin)
- Tomatoes
- Peas
- Garlic
- Onions
- Red peppers
Notice they are all healthy foods we
often don’t get enough of? This is another big issue with our diets. We
consume a lot of junk, meat, dairy and processed foods, items that
clinically have been proven to be the number one causes of heart disease
and illness yet we consume them in huge quantities. The key is to
limit these and eat a lot of fresh, lively foods that provide nutrients
and don’t ask the body to perform a mega job to digest.
You can also increase your exercise as
glutathione production increases when you exercise. Breathing and
sweating are also great ways to get rid of toxins in the body.
Glutathione Protects Against Chronic Illness
What makes glutathione so important and
powerful is that it recycles antioxidants. When your body is dealing
with free radicals, it is essentially passing them from one molecule to
another. They might go from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and
then to glutathione where they are cooled off. Antioxidants are recycled
at this point and the body can now regenerate another glutathione
molecule to go back at it again.
Glutathione is crucial for helping your
immune system fight chronic illness as it acts as the carrier of toxins
out of your body. Like a fly trap, toxins stick to glutathione and they
are carried to the bile into the stools and out of the body. Glutathione
is also powerful enough that it has been shown to help in the treatment
of AIDS greatly. The body is going to get in touch with oxidants and
toxins, the more we can deal with those the better our body will be at
staying strong, this is why glutathione is so important.
9 Final Tips
Dr. Mark Hyman has given 9 tips to increase your Glutathione levels. Check them out!
1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The
main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables
(broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).
2. Try bioactive whey protein. This
is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for
glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan of dairy,
but this is an exception — with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST
be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins (“denaturing” refers
to the breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose
non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no
pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription
bioactive non-denatured whey protein that is even listed in the
Physician’s Desk Reference.
3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and
thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and
enhance your body’s own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to
30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging,
or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week
is also helpful.
One would think it would be easy just to
take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein — so you
wouldn’t get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the
production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many
different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main
supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione.
Besides taking a multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione
levels with these supplements is the most important thing I do every day
for my personal health.
4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This
has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to
treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose.
In fact, I first learned about it in medical school while working in the
emergency room. It is even given to prevent kidney damage from dyes
used during x-ray studies.
5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to
glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy
production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The
body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we often
become depleted.
6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These
are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione.
Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two
most important biochemical functions in your body. Take folate
(especially in the active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofolate), B6 (in
active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form of methylcobalamin).
7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione.
8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols), work together to recycle glutathione.
9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps boost glutathione levels.
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