The Importane of Glutathione & Balancing Production Naturally
Does your provider check glutathione levels? At Tendwell, we routinely check for glutathione status because it plays a pivotal role in the human body. Glutathione is a tripeptide that, when present at the right levels, helps to reduce oxidative stress, enhance detoxification and regulate the immune system. A growing body of evidence suggests that glutathione status may be an important biomarker and treatment target in various chronic, age-related diseases: especially cancer, neurodegeneration and mitochondrial dysfunction. There is increasing awareness of glutathione’s impact on mitigating toxic load through enhanced hepatic (liver) conversion, and excretion of toxicants like mercury and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
What is the best way to ensure that you maintain the appropriate levels? At Tendwell, we strongly recommend optimizing dietary intake of whole foods containing glutathione, glutathione precursors and co-factors. Not only is this a relatively simple, low cost, and safe approach that can improve health, but it can avoid the pitfalls of overly aggressive supplementation.
Some recommendations:
Eat your Broccoli, Brassica family and other sulphur-containing veggies!—250 grams per day. Studies have shown, that taking cruciferous-derived compounds like sulforaphane, may increase glutathione, glutathione-related enzymes and even antioxidants produced by your own body. Eating a glutathione-supported diet could involve the inclusion of these foods daily, especially asparagus, avocado, cucumber, green beans, green squash and spinach. Slightly less high in glutathione but also great: mango, papaya, red pepper, and tomato.
Tips for enhancing potency:
Eat raw or mildly steamed veggies to preserve the integrity of sulfur compounds.
Refrain from freezing cruciferous vegetables.
Add powdered mustard seeds during the heating process to increase sulforaphane content of these foods.
Drink green teas—4 cups daily. According to some studies, green tea consumption is associated with reduced rates of certain cancers such as leukemia. In one study, both green tea and green tea extract significantly increased plasma antioxidant capacity and whole blood glutathione levels compared to the control group.
Eat wild-caught salmon—150 grams twice a week. Salmon, is a whole food source of omega-3 fatty acids and can increase glutathione levels. In one particular study of pregnant women, consumption of two meals of salmon per week (starting in week 20 of the pregnancy) increased glutathione concentration. Chronic inflammation can contribute to oxidative stress and deplete glutathione supply, so boosting your anti-inflammatory dietary components are key.
Other foods that increase glutathione status: lean protein sources, polyphenol-rich fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Finally, it is important to remember that balancing glutathione levels and supporting glutathione precursors is much preferred over aggressive supplementation. There could be a case made for too much of a good thing—reaching a level where anti-oxidants can turn pro-oxidant. This is why we test glutathione levels and don’t guess about an individual’s status and why we focus our efforts on the use of whole foods as medicine, when possible, to gain benefits from the synergy of the natural elements present in these plant and animal sources.
While there is much to understand and explore about the role of glutathione status, there is no doubt that glutathione plays an integral role in keeping us healthy. What’s your status?
Become a Tendwell member and we can take a look at your glutathione (and a whole lot more).
