The Master Antioxidant: What is Glutathione?
Antioxidants are substances that protect your cells from “free radicals.” Free radicals can play a significant role in health issues such as heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. They are tiny molecules produced by our bodies when exposed to harmful inhalations like tobacco smoke or radiation. Individuals with these chronic conditions sometimes use antioxidant IV treatments, such as glutathione IV’s, to help treat their symptoms.
What is Glutathione?
Glutathione is an important antioxidant that our cells produce, primarily made up of three amino acids: glutamine, glycine, and cysteine. It is vital for preventing and optimizing cellular function. Certain outside factors such as poor nutrition, environmental toxins, and stress can reduce levels of the nutrient in the body. Levels of this antioxidant also dip with age.
What are the benefits of taking Glutathione?
As mentioned above, glutathione is vital for optimizing cellular function and overall health. It can help prevent the buildup of free radicals, which play a role in certain chronic conditions and reduce oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body. When we experience oxidative stress, we are at higher risk for diabetes, congenital diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Put simply, higher levels of glutathione in the body puts us at a much lower risk for serious chronic conditions diseases.
How can I get more Glutathione?
You can increase your levels in three key ways. The first is to incorporate the master antioxidant into your diet. Sulfur plays a crucial role in synthesizing the nutrient— triggering a chemical reaction in the body to help produce more glutathione. So, incorporating sulfur-rich foods into your diet like beef, fish, poultry, and a plethora of vegetables can help boost your glutathione supply.
Another way is by taking daily dietary supplements; specifically, Vitamin C. Vitamin C can help our bodies attack free radicals, sparing amounts of glutathione that we could lose in this transaction. Remember, our bodies naturally produce glutathione, so if we can cut down reactions where it’s lost, there will be more of it to serve other wellness functions.
The final way is through intravenous treatment, also known as IV therapy. Every time I have gotten my own IV therapy, I have always added Glutathione into the cocktail. Glutathione is not as effective when ingested orally because it must pass through the digestive tract before being absorbed by the body. IV treatment bypasses the stomach by injecting the master antioxidant directly into the bloodstream. From there, our bodies can effectively absorb the nutrient, ensuring close to 100% bioavailability.
Conclusion
Antioxidants are vital to keeping our bodies in good condition. Glutathione, in particular, is vital for lessening oxidative stress throughout the body. High amounts of oxidative stress can lead to heightened levels of stress and anxiety, chronic conditions like heart disease, and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Shared with permission from ivee.
