HOW TO NEUTRALIZE FREE RADICALS?
LET'S DISCOVER GLUTATHIONE.
WHAT IS GLUTATHIONE?
Glutathione or GSH is a tripeptide with antioxidant properties, made up of cysteine and glycine, linked by a
normal peptide bond, and glutamate, which is linked to cysteine with an isopeptide bond between the
carboxyl group of the glutamate side chain and the amino group of cysteine. It is considered a formidable anti-aging agent, capable of stimulating the immune system, detoxifying us from the
toxic substances that we accumulate, and preserving all those organic functions that tend to slow down or jam with aging: for example, vision, cardiac and respiratory function,
memory.
WHY IS GLUTATHIONE SO PRECIOUS?
• Neutralize free radicals before they become harmful to cells. In particular, glutathione
deals with free radicals produced in the liver by the metabolism of toxic substances, including
pharmacological ones.
• Act as a cofactor for the synthesis of various antioxidant enzymes.
• Regenerate vitamins C and E (both with antioxidant and anti-aging functions).
• Transport mercury molecules out of brain cells.
• Regulate the processes of cell birth and death.
• Assist in the metabolism of estrogen hormones.
• Maintain efficient mitochondrial functionality and defend the integrity of their DNA.
Mitochondria are intracellular organelles that are fundamental for energy production starting from the
metabolism of dietary glucose.
WHAT DOES GLUTATHIONE INTAKE PREVENT?
Glutathione is now considered a key factor in the prevention of several pre-pathological and
morbid conditions, including:
• Aging and related diseases such as AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration, a
progressive eye disease that can seriously impair vision), glaucoma,
cataracts, Hearing loss (hearing impairment)
• Neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Respiratory and lung diseases including asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Liver diseases
• Autoimmune diseases
• Cancer
DOES GLUTATHIONE MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT?
Research published in the National Library of Medicine found that a healthy level of glutathione in the
body can help you lose weight more easily, because it supports the body in burning fat and building
muscle mass, while supporting the liver in removing toxins and eliminating them.
WHO SHOULD TAKE GLUTATHIONE?
"Almost everyone can benefit from taking glutathione supplements, and even more so as
we age, since we cannot produce enough of it like many other compounds and
hormones. If you suffer from stress, have a compromised immune system, live in a city with high
pollution, or suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases, you will benefit from
glutathione supplementation."
IS TAKING GLUTATHIONE HELPING FOR BRAIN HEALTH?
The brain is an organ with a high metabolism, in fact, despite representing only 2% of the body
weight, it consumes 20% of all the oxygen used by the body. This means that compared to other
organs, oxygen free radicals are produced in the brain at a very high speed.
Precisely for this reason it is important that the system that regulates the redox balance and neutralizes free
radicals is highly efficient.
Despite these needs, the glutathione content is on average low compared to other organs1
. A
real paradox!
The highest levels of glutathione are found in the liver (5-10 mM), followed by the kidney, spleen, small
intestine, brain, pancreas, lung, heart and muscle2
.
Numerous studies 3-4 have confirmed the importance of this small protein complex for the antioxidant protection of the brain and that reduced levels of glutathione (GSH) have been found to be a recurrent feature of aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
Reduced glutathione GSH was identified in its chemical structure in 19298 by Nobel Prize winner Frederick G.
Hopkins and has been increasingly studied since then.
Since the 1990s, with the continued investigation of the mechanisms of neurodegeneration induced by oxidative stress in the central nervous system, the decrease of GSH in the brain of patients with neurodegenerative diseases has been increasingly associated.
Over the last 30 years, therefore, basic research on glutathione in the Central Nervous System has increasingly focused on therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing neurodegeneration and increasing GSH levels in the brain to provide neuroprotective effects.
According to the current state of studies, it seems that glutathione (GSH) is unlikely to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier intact, but that amino acids reach the brain cells.
