The Power of Glutathione: Energy, Immunity, Mental Focus, Detoxification...

We often hear that "antioxidants" protect us from oxidative stress, but what does this actually mean, and what are the most broad-spectrum, versatile antioxidants? To answer this, consider the analogy of a flame, the heat it produces, and the water that cools the heat and extinguishes the flame.

Antioxidants protect us by acting like water, i.e. reducing the flames (inflammation), protecting us from sparks (free radicals), and cooling excess heat (oxidation). And what is the most powerful, broad-spectrum, versatile, and critical antioxidant? It's glutathione...the "Master Antioxidant". One our own bodies are supposed to produce, but often can't keep up with demand. 

Want to keep your mitochondrial furnaces running cool, and efficiently producing energy? Optimize glutathione. [1]

 Want benefits from extra energy in your brain and nervous system? ie. More brain power, more mental focus, better memory, and less anxiety? Optimize glutathione. (The direct link between oxidative stress, anxiety, and glutathione levels is very eye-opening, and may be of particular interest for students preparing for exams and the stress that accompanies them.) [2] [3] [4] [5]

Want to make sure your immune system is effective, yet not damaging parts of your body with inflammation...like your lungs? Optimize glutathione. [6]

Want better, more efficient detoxification involving less oxidative stress (i.e. "Cleansing reactions")? Optimize glutathione. [1] [7]

Want to recharge other antioxidants so they become active again? Optimize glutathione! [1] [8]

So, what are your choices for accomplishing this? Well, you can either supplement glutathione directly with an absorbable form that is not broken down by the gut, or you can get your own body to produce it, using direct precursors like NAC, and catalysts like resveratrol and sulforaphane, which increase critical glutathione enzymes.

 The problem with the first approach is determining how much to take and when, as glutathione is metabolized relatively quickly in your body.

The benefit of the latter approach is that your body knows best what it needs and when, and will govern where the glutathione is produced and used. It has been my experience that this can produce more of a 24 hour effect, rather than a spike effect which may be noticeable for say 4-8 hours.

 The most complete set of precursors, cofactors, and catalysts that I have found for successfully increasing the body's own glutathione production is GSH+.

Learn more about the GSH+ formula and ingredients

This unique formula includes NACET, which is a special form of the amino acid L-cysteine. Many people are familiar with N-acetylcysteine, or NAC, and know it to be a powerful glutathione precursor and liver detoxifier. Well, NACET is like NAC on steroids! It is absorbed and utilized by the cells up to 6 times better, maintains its levels longer, and has demonstrated superior antioxidant effects. [9] [10] 

GSH+ contains NACET plus a broad-spectrum of antioxidant and detoxifying molecules like resveratrol and sulforaphane, along with other building blocks of glutathione, like alpha lipoic acid, selenium, glycine and L-glutamine, to support production, and activate highly antioxidant glutathione enzymes. This creates an environment whereby the body is equipped to rapidly neutralize free radicals en masse, rather than one at a time. Imagine the analogy of a black hole swallowing up whole galaxies of free radicals! The glutathione family of enzymes are like the black holes, and activating them is one of the advantages of the GSH+ formula... one of many examples of how it broadly supports glutathione production and metabolism.

Whether you are looking to enhance your cognitive performance, reduce oxidative damage and inflammation, detoxify your liver and lungs, or simply to feel more clear and calm, increasing your body’s production of the Master Antioxidant glutathione will do all of this and more. I have found GSH+ to be the most comprehensive glutathione-enhancing supplement I've encountered...and I've tried a lot of them. GSH+ is simply a more advanced approach.

If you are a person who wants to address a lot of benefits with only a few capsules GSH+ is an excellent choice. It's like a glutathione multivitamin. For best results, take three capsules on an empty stomach, eg., when you get up in the morning and leave a minimum of 30 minutes before eating. 

(For me combining three GSH+ with two Optimized Adrenal Balance has really helped morning anxiety.)

Hope this helps someone else!

Be Well,

John

References:

1. Glutathione! 
2. Therapeutic Potential of Glutathione-Enhancers in Stress-Related Psycopathologies 
3. Oxidative Imbalance and Anxiety Disorders 
4. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.666347/full
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28564628/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048347
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5549431
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2696075/
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006295212006417
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7827200/