Have you ever heard of Glutathione?
Glutathione is often referred to as the body’s “master antioxidant” and is the most important molecule in your body that you may have never heard of! Glutathione is a substance found in every cell in the body, where it acts as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals and prevent cellular damage. Glutathione is actually required for other antioxidants like vitamin C, E, and Selenium to be properly utilized in the body. Glutathione plays a critical role in your immune system, and is particularly important within the organs that are responsible for cleansing our bodies, especially the liver and kidneys. It has been observed that almost all people who have some form of chronic illness also have low levels of glutathione!
Glutathione Deficiency Has Been Linked To:
- Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
- Coronary and autoimmune diseases
- Arthritis, asthma and other inflammatory conditions
- Cancer
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Muscle weakness and fatigue
How Do We Become Deficient?
Your body produces its own glutathione. Under healthy conditions, and in a healthy environment, our bodies would be able to churn out plenty of glutathione to meet our daily needs. However, its ability to produce glutathione can be compromised by poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, infections, radiation and aging. In fact, as you age, your body’s ability to produce glutathione decreases by as much as 50 percent.
How Do We Increase Our Glutathione Levels?
Unfortunately taking oral glutathione directly does not work. For an oral supplement to succeed, a nutrient must be able to make its way through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream. Otherwise it will be destroyed in the gut. The glutathione’s molecule is too large to get through the intestinal wall intact. Instead, it is broken apart during digestion.
Here are the ways you can get around this…
Amino Acids:
Our bodies require three amino acids that it uses to make glutathione (cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid). The most critical of these is cysteine. The supplement form of cysteine is called N-Acetyl Cysteine. In fact, did you know that Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is known to deplete glutathione? This is why an overdose can kill you, because it exhausts the body’s supply of glutathione, and the liver can no longer excrete it. Acetaminophen toxicity is actually the number one cause of hospital admission for liver failure in the United States, and guess what they give these people in the ER to treat them…N-Acetyl Cysteine!
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP):
Your body also requires adequate levels of a chemical called Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which aids in the transport of glutathione into the cells. ATP serves as a “shuttle”, delivering energy to places within the cell where energy-consuming chemical activities are taking place. The more energy required for a chemical activity, the more ATP molecules must be spent. This is particularly true with the utilization of glutathione. Taking a D-Ribose supplement will raise your ATP levels. D-Ribose is very essential for life, and is the primary precursor to ATP.
Glutathione IV Therapy:
Administering glutathione through IV allows you to bypass the digestive tract and deliver glutathione directly into the bloodstream. This is the most effective way to raise glutathione levels in the body! We have treated thousands of patients over the years and find this to be a safe, highly effective solution for many health concerns.
Diet and Exercise:
Exercise can also boost your glutathione levels. 30 minutes of intense exercise a day can have a positive effect. Eating lots of foods that are rich in sulfur like garlic, onions, kale, broccoli & other cruciferous vegetables can also help to raise your glutathione production.
How Can We Help you?
At the Dr. Shel Wellness & Medical Spa we have helped thousands of patients to address low glutathione levels. We offer Glutathione IVs, injections as well as medical grade options of the supplements mentioned above. If you would like to speak to someone about your options, please feel free to Request a Consultation.
