More on GLUTATHIONE
Immune Strengthening, Detoxifying Anti-Oxidant

Glutathione is a protein made up of three amino acids; cystine, glutamic acid and glycine. Glutathione is not an elemental nutrient, it is made by the body in the liver and circulated through the bloodstream. 

Glutathione is an antioxidant. It protects cells from free radicals and it is involved in detoxification. Glutathione has the ability to bind to toxins and convert them into a form that can be eliminated by the body in the urine or bile. Glutathione is needed by the liver to create bile and it is essential for ridding the body of methylglyoxal, a toxic byproduct of normal body metabolism. Glutathione also acts on external toxins absorbed into the body such as heavy metals, solvents, pesticides, etc.

In the process of detoxification, Glutathione changes from its normal reduced state, to its oxidized state of Glutathione Disulfide. Most Glutathione in the body is found in its reduced state. The ratio of reduced Glutathione to oxidized Glutathione within cells is frequently used as a measure of cellular toxicity. In a healthy body, over 90% of Glutathione in the body is in the reduced state, and less than 10% as Glutathione Disulfide. 

Glutathione is returned to its reduced form by the enzyme Glutathione Reductase on an as-needed basis depending upon oxidative stress within cells. 

A deficiency of Glutathione in the body could be the result of diseases that increase the need for Glutathione, deficiencies of the amino acids needed to make Glutathione or diseases that inhibit Glutathione production.

Diseases known to be associated with Glutathione deficiency include; diabetes, cancer, liver disease, cataracts, HIV infections, respiratory infections, & pulmonary fibrosis. Cigarette smoking is known to reduce levels of Glutathione.
"Glutathione plays important roles in antioxidant defense, nutrient metabolism, and regulation of cellular events (including gene expression, DNA and protein synthesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis, signal transduction, cytokine production and immune response, and protein glutathionylation). Glutathione deficiency contributes to oxidative stress, which plays a key role in aging and the pathogenesis of many diseases including seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, HIV, AIDS, cancer, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes."
Glutathione Metabolism and Its Implications for Health
Guoyao Wu2, Yun-Zhong Fang, Sheng Yang, Joanne R. Lupton and Nancy D. Turner
J. Nutrition 134:489-492, March 2004
Glutathione is known in some circles as the "Master Antioxidant." It protects against diseases, detoxifies, promotes normal cell function, and slows the process of aging. As we age, the process of synthesizing Glutathione in the body slows and we become more vulnerable to cellular damage and degenerative diseases.

In a perfect world, once we know how powerful an antioxidant and detoxifier Glutathione is, we'd expect that increasing inter-cellular Glutathione levels would step up the body's ability to combat free radicals and fight disease.  Sadly, that is not the case.

Attempts to supplement Glutathione levels in the body have not proven successful:
"When the plasma glutathione concentration is low, such as in patients with HIV infection, alcoholics, and patients with cirrhosis, increasing the availability of circulating glutathione by oral administration might be of therapeutic benefit.... During the 270 min after the administration of glutathione in a dose of 0.15 mmol·kg–1 the concentrations of glutathione, cysteine, and glutamate in plasma did not increase significantly, suggesting that the systemic availability of glutathione is negligible in man.  Because of hydrolysis of glutathione by intestinal and hepatic gamma glutamyltransferase, dietary glutathione is not a major determinant of circulating glutathione, and it is not possible to increase circulating glutathione to a clinically beneficial extent by the oral administration of a single dose of 3 g of glutathione."
The Systemic Availability of Oral Glutathione
A. Witschi, S. Reddy, B. Stofer and B. H. Lauterburg
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology  Volume 43, Number 6
Glutathione when taken orally is poorly absorbed. Glutathione is an unstable tri-peptide. It is susceptible to attack and breakdown by stomach acids and enzymes. Glutathione taken orally loses up to 85% of its active strength during the digestive process. Even if the Glutathione molecules were to survive their journey through the digestive system, once in the bloodstream, they would be spontaneously oxidized. Once oxidized, the Glutathione would not penetrate the cell membrane. 

Our Liposomal delivery system makes Glutathione bio-available at a cellular level in concentrations never before possible. Glutathione, encapsulated in fat-soluble liposomes, is protected from digestive action in the stomach and intestines and also from oxidation in the bloodstream.

Liposomal encapsulation mimics the way nutrients are packaged by the body's digestive system and delivered to the cells in the bloodstream. Liposomal Glutathione, absorbed directly through the cell membrane, is put right to use; even avoiding the process of intra-cellular synthesis, which is how the body makes its own supply of Glutathione.
"...one possibility to protect cells from damage caused by reactive oxygen species is to restore the intracellular glutathione levels. Cellular GSH concentration can be influenced by exogenous administration of GSH (as intravenous infusion or as aerosol), of glutathione. The modulation of GSH metabolism might present a useful adjuvant therapy in many pathologies such as intoxication, diabetes, uremia, sepsis, inflammatory lung processes, coronary disease, cancer and immunodeficiency states."
Therapeutic Potential of Glutathione
Exner R, Wessner B, Manhart N, Roth E.
U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health
The need to replenish Glutathione levels, particularly in the elderly and in those afflicted with specific diseases, has been established. 

There has been considerable anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of high levels of glutathione to reverse some symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. It has also been noted that autistic children appear to have elevated levels of mercury in their system. For several years it was suspected that a mercury based preservative, thimerosal, used in vaccines, could be a factor in the dramatic rise in the number of cases of autism.
"Several epidemiological studies failed to find a correlation between mercury exposure through thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines, and the risk of autism. Recently, it was found that autistic children had a higher mercury exposure during pregnancy due to maternal dental amalgam and thimerosal-containing immunoglobulin shots. It was hypothesized that children with autism have a decreased detoxification capacity due to genetic polymorphism...Subsequently, autistic children have significantly decreased level of reduced glutathione. Promising treatments of autism involve detoxification of mercury, and supplementation of deficient metabolites."
Mercury and Autism: Accelerating Evidence?
Mutter J, Naumann J, Schneider R, Walach H, Haley B.
Neurological Endocrinology Letter; 2005 Oct;26(5):439-46.
It has since been determined that the elevated mercury levels in these children were provoked not by vaccines, but were possibly passed on from mothers; who had absorbed mercury from dental fillings, environmental pollutants or other sources. Mercury is a extremely toxic. Mercury emissions from coal burning power plants have been often overlooked source of mercury contamination. It has been proposed that these children have a genetically related reduced ability to detoxify their bodies of heavy metals. Further studies have indicated that autistic children have decreases inter-cellular levels of Glutathione. Parents of autistic children have tried Glutathione supplementation and in many cases have had positive results. Our Liposomal Glutathione and our Liposomal Develop-Mental Formula with Glutathione hold great promise for such cases.

Because of the poor absorption rate of conventional Glutathione supplements, some have tried to supply the precursors of Glutathione; amino acids along with Vitamin C and N-Acetylcysteine, to the body orally. This strategy, again, overlooks the obstacle of getting the nutrients through the digestive system.

Up to now, the only effective method Glutathione supplementation has been through IV infusion.
Now, our Liposomal Formulas offer a more convenient and cost-effective solution.

We offer glutathione in 4 of our Liposomal Formulas. 
Normal dosage is one tablespoon, which contains:

500 mg glutathione

DOSAGE:
One tablespoon 3 times/day for the first month,
One tablespoon 2 times/day for the next three months.
One tablespoon per day after the first 4 months for maintenance.
Glutathione levels in blood should reflect supplementation after one month of use.

Normal dosage is 1 ounce (2 tablespoons), which contains:

   100 mg Glutathione
3,333 mg Vitamin C
   100 mg Resveratrol
   100 mg CoQ10
   100 mg Curcumin
   100 mg Vitamin B1 
   100 mg Vitamin B6
   100 mcg Vitamin B12
       5 mcg Folic Acid

Although formulated to offer nutritional support for cancer patients, this is an excellent anti-oxidant formula that can be used by anyone at a reduced dosage for general nutritional support.

Normal dosage is one teaspoon, which contains:

      100 mg Glutathione
    1000 mg Vitamin C 
        50 mg CoQ10

Normal dosage is 1 tablespoon, which contains:

  250 mg Glutathione
  250 mg Tyrosine
  250 mg CoQ10