What is Glutathione
Glutathione is a potent systemic antioxidant, naturally occurring in the body. It is an essential detoxification molecule that also promotes a healthy, balanced immune system and controls inflammation. The reason glutathione is so essential to the body is that it helps to recycle antioxidants. Increasing glutathione improves mental and physical function by decreasing muscle damage, decreasing recovery time, increasing strength and endurance, and shifting metabolism from fat to muscle development.
We are constantly being exposed to toxins and chemicals in our lives through foods, water, and environment. This depletes the glutathione levels leaving the body susceptible to free radicals, oxidative stress, infections, and cancer. One-third of the population is missing an essential gene that is required to produce glutathione. This leaves them susceptible to chronic disease.
Glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very ill patients including chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, chronic infections, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, kidney and liver disease, and neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and autism. It can be helpful in preventing cancer, heart disease, and dementia. It helps to detoxify heavy metals like mercury from the body.
There are ways to improve your natural glutathione production. Eating more sulphur rich foods such as garlic, onions and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.). Bioactive whey protein can be helpful as it is high in cysteine and other amino acid building blocks for glutathione production. Exercise naturally boosts your glutathione.
Various supplements can also enhance glutathione production and recycling including: N-acetyl-cysteine, alpha lipoic acid, methylation nutrients (folate, B6, and B12), selenium, antioxidants (especially vitamin C and E), and milkthistle. Oral glutathione is not well absorbed.
There are times when these measures are not enough to improve glutathione, or the condition requires higher therapeutic levels. We offer 2 treatment options to improve glutathione. Nebulized glutathione and intravenous glutathione.
Intravenous Glutathione
Intravenous (IV) glutathione replenishes the body’s natural glutathione supply. It enters the blood stream directly and into the cells where it is needed. Glutathione is readily deactivated by the digestive system if taken orally. IV glutathione is used to enhance the immune function, promote detoxification of toxins and heavy metals, and enhance neurological and cardiovascular health. It has been shown to reduce inflammation, slow down the aging process, increase energy levels and increase recuperation after exercise. Treatment time is 15 minutes and benefit may be noted as soon as a few hours after the IV. Treatment frequency can vary between 1-3 times/week over 1-3 months, depending on the condition.
Nebulized glutathione
Nebulized glutathione is a helpful too for many respiratory conditions including chronic cough/infection of the upper and lower respiratory tract, chronic rhinitis and sinusitis, asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Nebulizing (or aerosolizing) glutathione has been shown to:
Improve immune function by increasing the numbers of white blood cells (helping to fight infection)
Decrease and thins mucous, allowing proper clearing of mucus issues
Improve pulmonary function by improving lung capacity
Increase oxygen saturation of red blood cells thus improving oxygenation to every cell in the body
Reduces ear fullness, nasal obstruction, and rhinorrhea (chronic stuffy nose)
Improves antioxidant concentration in the respiratory tract and thus decreases oxidant induced damage to lung tissue
Decreases smoking induced damage to lung tissue
Balance Th2 (allergic) dominant immune system imbalance
What to expect from treatment
The nebulizer treatment takes around 30 minutes. The patient takes in slow deep breathes of a cool mist through a small mask placed over the mouth and nose. The glutathione may have a mild sulphurous smell. There may be mild coughing as the phlegm loosens up and is able to clear. More nasal dripping may be noted as well. For more chronic cases, 2-3 treatments/week may be needed for 4 weeks, then reducing to 1/week for the next month. For lung infections, only 3-4 treatments may be required.