Glutathione Works To Neutralize Free Radicals

If we were to take someone from 100 years ago into the present day, the amount of knowledge and advancement would seem staggering. It is almost as if our intellectual curiosity and research is delivering an exponential amount of data. Within our bodies we are discovering more and more layers to what we already thought we knew.

Coupled with the almost staggering advances made in technology, our forays into research are bringing back more and more results. Where a few decades ago X-ray crystallography made it possible to look at the structure of DNA and conclude it is a double helix, we were now focusing our vision to smallest aspects of the body.

Making informed choices in the interest of our health can be exceedingly difficult since we are swimming in more and more information and data. Beginning to research anything can leave you feeling like you need a doctorate to make sense of it all. One of the newest and most hyped supplements is glutathione, but what does it do for you and, in fact, what is it?

The good news is that glutathione is a natural part of the body. Our bodies make it every day and it exists inside every cell in the body working as a neutralizer of free radicals that can cause damage. Other molecules that work in this neutralizing fashion are the vitamins C and E, so the molecule is in good company.

When it is not neutralizing free radicals this molecule works as a helper to the liver in removing the toxins from our bodies that we can ingest through taking drugs or having pollutants in our food.

It has also been seen in patients who are severely ill with diseases like cancer and AIDS that their bodies have very low levels of glutathione. This may be because the body stores are being severely depleted through the process of fighting infections associated with disease.

Getting more is simple with a good diet. It is a component of many of the foods that we eat and if you have a diet high in fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat you are getting the amount that you need and your body most likely has the correct levels of this molecule in your system. The truth, as we know however, is that most people don't eat well and could thus have poor amounts of glutathione in their bodies.

Is there a pill for that? Unfortunately, supplements that are strictly glutathione are not readily absorbed by the body so if you are taking any pills that say that are made exclusively of this molecule; they are passing harmlessly through your system and not making an impact. You could take it by IV, but that really is not the most practical thing you can do. The good news is that taking the amino acid cysteine will prime your body to produce more because it is a precursor the actual molecule.

Research is continuing to try to figure out exactly what this molecule does for our bodies. We know it is a free radical neutralizer which in turn allows us to heal faster, and it has some role in disease.

Some of the most promising results for the administration of glutathione come from a clinical trial involving cancer. Women who were afflicted with ovarian cancer and were on chemotherapy, also received the molecule intravenously and the results were that the side effects of chemo were not as harsh. This is exciting and can lead to cancer patients not suffering as much due to their therapies. The benefits are vast and should be considered as something to integrate into your life.