Introduction
Glutathione is one of the strongest antioxidants in the human body. It thus plays an important role in regulating the immune system.
Many people have too low glutathione levels: they are more susceptible to infections and feel less energetic.
Dietary supplements can help supply your body with this important antioxidant.
What are antioxidants for?
Antioxidants are organic compounds that protect the body from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that arise due to various influences such as pollution, smoking, stress, or normal metabolic processes. These molecules attack and damage healthy cells. Researchers associate free radicals with a variety of health problems. Experts refer to these processes as oxidative stress.
Antioxidants neutralize harmful molecules by absorbing their excess electrons. This prevents free radicals from causing further damage to the body's own cells.
What causes oxidative stress?
A distinction is made between internal and external causes of oxidative stress.
Internal causes are mental and physical exhaustion or overload, for example due to stress or overexertion during sports. Various underlying diseases also cause oxidative stress: these include diabetes and dysfunctions of various organs as well as chronic inflammations.
External causes include ingested toxins such as alcohol and nicotine, high UV and ozone exposure, as well as various environmental toxins.
An unhealthy diet that is low in antioxidants is also one of the external causes of oxidative stress.
What is glutathione?
Many antioxidants are taken in by people through food. For example, anthocyanins are found in red cabbage and lycopene in tomatoes. Therefore, many people mistakenly assume that a balanced and healthy diet is enough to supply the body with sufficient antioxidants.
Glutathione is different because it is an antioxidant produced by the body and does not occur in this form in food. Glutathione is formed from the amino acids cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. The cells synthesize this important antioxidant from these compounds.
What happens with a too low glutathione level?
The glutathione level in the blood decreases especially when your body has to fight infections. The drop in levels is particularly noticeable with herpes simplex infections. Researchers also associate various chronic diseases with a reduced glutathione level.
It is not scientifically proven whether raising the level by taking supplements helps to alleviate the symptoms of an infection or a chronic disease.
It is known, however, that the glutathione level continues to decrease the more frequently and longer the body has to fight diseases.
How can a low glutathione level manifest itself?
People with a too low glutathione level mainly complain about reduced performance, which they often describe as "lack of energy." This weakness results from the fact that the body can no longer produce enough ATP when there is a glutathione deficiency.
ATP is the abbreviation for adenosine triphosphate. It stores and transports energy needed for most bodily functions, including muscle contractions and brain activity. ATP is thus something like the fuel for the body.
When the body produces more ATP due to increased energy demand, more free radicals are generated in this process. These, in turn, must be neutralized by sufficiently available antioxidants. If antioxidants, especially glutathione, are not available in adequate amounts, cell damage occurs. The result is a decreasing production of ATP and the resulting performance weakness.
What is L-glutathione?
L-glutathione differs from glutathione in its structure. While normal glutathione is a tripeptide compound made of cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine, L-glutathione is a so-called stereoisomer. A stereoisomer is an organic compound that has the same chemical formula as the normal compound but with atoms arranged differently. This altered spatial arrangement influences the biochemical properties. In various contexts, stereoisomers exhibit different effects than the normal compounds.
L-glutathione plays an important role in the liver. The liver is significantly involved in breaking down toxins circulating in the body. Since this task involves high oxidative stress, the liver particularly benefits from a sufficiently high glutathione level.
Why is L-glutathione popular as a dietary supplement?
Dietary supplements containing L-glutathione have been developed for people who want to strengthen their immune system and performance. When people are under stress, suffer from an illness, or want to mitigate the effects of the natural aging process, they take corresponding dietary supplements. This can help maintain glutathione levels at a high level and make the body more resistant to the harmful effects of free radicals.
Are there studies on the effectiveness of L-glutathione?
As part of a study published in 2017, Campolo et al. examined the effects of taking L-glutathione. In particular, they investigated whether absorption through the oral mucosa leads to an improvement in various health markers that represent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The researchers administered L-glutathione in the form of a dietary supplement to some of the subjects, while the control group received a placebo.It was shown that the group receiving the dietary supplement had a reduced cholesterol level, especially a reduction in the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood. These results were statistically significant.
Improvements were also observed in participants who had previously shown abnormal vascular elasticity.
In summary, Campolo et al. found that taking L-glutathione in the form of a dietary supplement can lower cholesterol levels, especially the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood. They could not demonstrate that the use of the dietary supplement has a direct positive effect on oxidative stress.
The researchers concluded that taking L-glutathione as a dietary supplement can influence fat metabolism in people who have risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. It is possible that the use of sublingual L-glutathione can provide protection for people suffering from impaired function of the blood vessel walls.
L-Glutathione from Euro Nutrador
The intake of L-glutathione in the form of a dietary supplement can help you maintain a sufficiently high glutathione level. The body's ability to compensate for oxidative stress is largely determined by whether enough antioxidants are present in the body. L-glutathione taken as a dietary supplement can also have a positive effect on your blood lipid levels. Therefore, taking the Euro Nutrador preparation can support you in improving your cholesterol levels.This applies especially if you suffer from a persistently elevated LDL cholesterol level and have not yet found a way to sustainably lower it.
Glutathione is one of the strongest antioxidants in the human body. It thus plays an important role in regulating the immune system.
Many people have too low glutathione levels: they are more susceptible to infections and feel less energetic.
Legal notice regarding health-related claims:
Our information is for general informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Dietary supplements do not replace a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Health-related claims about dietary supplements must comply with the Health Claims Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 and be approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). If you have health complaints or questions, please consult a doctor.
Conclusion
Legal notice regarding health-related claims:
Our information is for general informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Dietary supplements do not replace a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Health-related claims about dietary supplements must comply with the Health Claims Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 and be approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). If you have health complaints or questions, please consult a doctor.
