Glutathione

 

Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide (3 amino acids bonded together) known as L- GlutamylCysteinylGlycine made by our body cells for protection and survival.

 

In medicine, GSH is well known and well accepted as the most important natural health factor in the human body's immunity system. It exists in every living cell of the body and inside blood. It is made up of 3 amino acids :-

 

1.         Cysteine - The limiting factor in the manufacturing of intracellular GSH

2.         Glycine - Promotes metabolism

3.         Glutamate - Component of brain cells

 

Glycine and Glutamate are easily available from our food but Cysteine is relatively rare and as it is easily denatured by heating/cooking (begins to denature at 42ºC; totally denatured by 55ºC), it is difficult to obtain sufficient amounts of it from our daily meals.

 

All illnesses and diseases are biochemical in nature.

Many illnesses BUT ONE common factor found :– LOW Glutathione levels in the body.

Prolonged DEFICIENCY in Glutathione = AGEING &/OR ILLNESS.

 

9 Main Functions of Glutathione :-

 

            1.         Antioxidant

            2.         Immunity booster

            3.         Detoxifier

            4.         Suppressor of Inflammation

            5.         Transporter of amino acids

            6.         Regulator of bodily response to injury

            7.         Enzymes activator

            8.         Strengthens synthesis and repair of DNA

            9.         Steers direction of synthesis of proteins

 

A I D S T R E S S  -  Remember this acronym for the functions of Glutathione.

 

 

Credibility

 

Medical researchers have known the benefits of high Glutathione levels for about 119 years.

There are 79,308 medical articles on Glutathione (as of 23rd February 2008) in the PubMed website on the internet for your reference. This number is growing daily.

 

(PubMed = Medical Publications)

 

The website "PubMed" is in the United States, hosted by the USA government.

 

The PubMed website address is :-

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/fcgi

 

            “ncbi”  = National Center for Biotechnology

                       Information

 

            “nlm”   = National Library for Medicine

 

            “nih”        = National Institute of Health

 

 

Why haven't I heard of Glutathione previously?

 

Taking Glutathione orally is of minimal use. When taken orally, almost all is broken up in the stomach and hence denatured. This method will not boost the Glutathione level in your body. Injecting Glutathione into the bloodstream helps certain critically ill patients but is not relevant to the normal person. As there was no effective and convenient way to raise Glutathione level in one's body, its importance is not highlighted by the public health care system.

 

 

Benefits

 

Here is a list of conditions and diseases that benefit from HIGH cellular levels of Glutathione :-

 

Ageing

Ageing

Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

Balding and Hair Loss

Cancers of ageing e.g. Prostate Cancer

Cataract

Macular Degeneration (MD)

Osteoarthritis

Parkinson's Disease (PD)

Age-related Decline in Immunity

 

Brain and Nervous Conditions

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Bipolar Disorders

Depression

Down's Syndrome

Schizophrenia

Seizure (Epilepsy)

 

Cardiovascular Conditions

Atherosclerosis

Brain Stroke

Cardiovascular Disease

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

Hypertension

Reperfusion Injury

 

Cancers

Cancer Prevention

Cancer Treatment

Reducing side-effects of Chemotherapy (Chemoprotection)

Reducing side-effects of Radiotherapy (Radioprotection)

Prevent Wasting Disease (Cachexia)

Lung Cancer

Breast Cancer

 

Infectious Diseases and Immunology Conditions

Viral Diseases

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Flu or Influenza

Herpes

Hepatitis

Bacterial Infections

Sepsis

Autoimmune Dysfunctions

Diabetes II

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

 

Pulmonary Conditions

Asthma

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Emphysema

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis

 

Digestive System

Diabetes I

Gastritis and Peptic Ulcers

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD)

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - Ulcerative colitis

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - Crohn's Disease (CD)

Malnutrition

Pancreatitis

Reflux Oesophagitis

 

Liver & Gallbladder

Alcoholic Liver Disease

Gallstones

 

Reproductive System

Female

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational Hypertension

Pre-eclampsia

Male

Sperm Disorders (Dyspermia)

 

Skin Disorders

Acne Vulgaris

Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Behchet's Disease

Psoriasis

Lupus or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Sunburn

 

Eyes, Ear, Nose & Throat Problems

Eales' Disease

Glaucoma

Sinusitis

Ear Infection or Otitis

Noise-induced Hearing loss

Periodontal Disease or Gum Disease

 

Kidneys

Polycystic Kidney Diseases

Complications of Dialysis

 

Metabolism

Increases HDL (Good) Cholesterol

Decreases Oxidation of LDL (Lipid Peroxidation)

Inflammation

DNA Damage and Repair

Diabetes Complications

Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic Retinopathy

 

Detoxification

Detoxifies certain Drugs

Detoxifies substances in Cigarette Smoke

Detoxifies pollutants including Heavy metals

Detoxifies many well-known Carcinogens

 

Trauma & Burns (Healing & Recovery)

Decreases recovery time from Burns

Decreases recovery time from Wounds

Cold Stress

 

Strenuous Exercise & Athletic Performance

Enhances athletic performance

 

 

Why do I need to Boost Glutathione level in my body when I am still feeling fine ?

 

Researches show that our Glutathione level in the body drops with age. The average research result is :-

 

            At 20 years old (peak)          = 100%

            At 55 years old                      =   80%

            At 70 years old                      =   60%

 

Some people with genetic predisposition have their Glutathione levels drop earlier in life. Various diseases begin to strike them at a relatively young age. This is partly due to faster than normal cellular deterioration and partly due to weaker and/or incorrect immunity responses.  Adequate Glutathione is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system.

 

Hence, even if you feel fine, less than normal level of Glutathione may be causing your internal organs to under-perform and eventually malfunction. By the time the symptoms appear, some irreparable damage may have been done. The golden proverb "Prevention is better than cure" certainly holds true.

 

 

How can I Boost Glutathione level in my body ?

 

Since 1993, there is an effective way. Instead of taking Glutathione, one can take the precursor (building block) of Glutathione, namely BONDED CYSTEINE. When taken orally, it is not digested in the stomach. The bonded cysteine is absorbed through the intestine into blood and transported to individual cells. Here, cysteine is released and enzymatically combined with 2 other amino acids; glutamate and glycine to form useful cellular Glutathione. This method has been clinically proven to effectively boost Glutathione level in the body.

 

 

ImmunocalÔ

Bonded Cysteine

 

 

For more information on Immunocal, please refer to the book - Physicians' Desk Reference (US).

 

Physicians' Desk Reference (US)