What is the function of glutathione?

From the Guidelines

Glutathione is a crucial antioxidant that plays a central role in protecting cells from oxidative damage and supporting detoxification processes, and its production can be supported by ensuring adequate intake of precursor nutrients like glutamine, glycine, and cysteine 1.

Key Functions of Glutathione

• Neutralizing free radicals and detoxifying harmful substances
• Supporting immune function
• Recycling other antioxidants like vitamins C and E
• Playing a crucial role in the liver's detoxification pathways

Importance of Precursor Nutrients

• Glutamine, glycine, and cysteine are essential for glutathione production
• Ensuring adequate intake of these nutrients can support glutathione production and overall health
• Foods rich in these nutrients, such as cruciferous vegetables, garlic, and sulfur-rich compounds, can help support glutathione production

Clinical Relevance

• Glutathione levels naturally decline with age, illness, and exposure to toxins
• Supplementing with glutathione or its precursor nutrients may be beneficial in addressing conditions associated with oxidative stress
• However, oral supplements may have limited absorption, and ensuring adequate intake of precursor nutrients through diet or parenteral nutrition may be more effective 1

Recommendation

• Ensuring adequate intake of glutamine, glycine, and cysteine through diet or parenteral nutrition is crucial for supporting glutathione production and overall health 1
• In critically ill patients, parenteral nutrition containing glutamine (0.2-0.4 g/kg/day) may be beneficial in reducing mortality and morbidity 1

From the Research

What is Glutathione

Glutathione is a tripeptide of gamma-Glutamyl-cysteinylglycine and the predominant intracellular antioxidant in many organisms, including humans 2. It has two forms, the reduced form or reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized form (GSSG), where two GSH moieties combine by sulfhydryl bonds.

Functions of Glutathione

• Protects cells against a wide variety of free radicals, including reactive oxygen species, lipid hydroperoxides, xenobiotic toxicants, and heavy metals 2
• Plays a crucial role in the detoxification and antioxidant systems of cells 3
• Necessary for maintaining the normal redox balance in the body and helping in cell survival under stress conditions 2
• Removes various carcinogenic compounds, offering a chemopreventive property 2
• Regulates cellular survival by offering redox stability in a variety of cancers, including prostate, lung, breast, and colon cancer 2

Therapeutic Uses of Glutathione

• Treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) 3
• Treatment of acute poisoning and chronic liver diseases by intravenous injection 3
• Potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer, heart disease, HIV infection, heavy metal toxicity, and other diseases characterized by free radical oxidant damage 4
• Treatment of liver diseases, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver diseases 5

Relationship with Other Antioxidants

• Glutathione is one of the antioxidants that counter oxidative stress and protect cellular biomolecules, along with other antioxidants such as thioredoxin, ascorbic acid, and enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) 6
• N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the acetylated precursor of both the amino acid L-cysteine and reduced glutathione (GSH) 4