By Andrea Bartels CNP NNCP RNT 07 Oct 2024 |
Antioxidants play a major role in keeping your immune system strong in the fight against the ‘bugs’ that cause respiratory infections. This cold and flu season, supercharge your immune system with the nutrients it needs to produce your body’s most important antioxidant: glutathione.
What is Glutathione?
Glutathione (pronounced gloo-tah-THY-own) is a tripeptide made by the body using the 3 amino acids cysteine, glycine and glutamine. It earns the reputation as the body’s most important antioxidant for several reasons. It neutralizes free radicals capable of damaging cells; it also regenerates the antioxidants vitamins C and E so they stay active in the tissues longer than without glutathione. Glutathione’s immune-enhancing power is thanks to glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme that uses glutathione to perform antioxidant activities.
Who might benefit from boosting their glutathione? Essentially, anyone who is experiencing inflammation and oxidative stress, which includes individuals with:
It’s important to note that glutathione production decreases with age, so the older we are, the more likely our glutathione levels will be sub-optimal for fighting pathogens and modulating the growth of cells.
Make your own Glutathione
The digestive system is designed to break down tripeptides like glutathione, so standard glutathione supplements won’t be absorbed intact; this fact explains why they have very limited bioavailability and benefit. It makes more sense to boost your intake of the nutrients that help your body make glutathione.
Glutathione – Boosters
Glutamine is one of the 3 amino acids needed to form glutathione. Although it’s present in high-protein foods, a strong digestive system is needed to extract it from food. Since physical stresses like prolonged intense exercise, surgery and chronic illness increase glutathione requirements by depleting it from the circulation, supplementation is an easy way to help replenish blood glutathione levels to maintain a strong immune system. Watch for Pure Lab’s L-Glutamine capsules and powder products, launching soon!
Selenium is an important cofactor for glutathione peroxidase production, the enzyme important for keeping hydrogen peroxide in check while it fights bacteria and viruses. Selenium also increases the activity of specialized white blood cells such as natural killer cells and others in the fight against pathogens. Unfortunately, the selenium content of most diets is insufficient to efficiently carry out this task. The compound selenomethionine provides the essential amino acid methionine together with the essential mineral selenium. Pure Lab’s Selenomethionine provides 200 mcg of yeast-free, biologically active selenium per capsule.
Zinc is another nutrient used in the production of glutathione peroxidase. When deficient, zinc impairs our ability to protect cells from free radicals because it’s an important cofactor in maintaining glutathione-related enyzmes. It can also indirectly protect glutathione from being depleted by stabilizing cell membranes. Pure Lab’s Zinc Glycinate 23 mg provides a highly bioavailable chelate of the 2 of the nutrients essential for glutathione production: zinc and glycine.
NAC (n-acetyl-l-cysteine) is a valuable source of l-cysteine - -a sulfur-containing amino acid that gives fresh NAC supplements the smell of rotten egg. NAC rapidly converts into glutathione, boosting blood levels of this antioxidant. As if that wasn’t enough, NAC has a special affinity for the respiratory system, reducing the viscosity of mucus and stimulating the clearing of mucus from the airways. Additionally, NAC protects the lungs from the damaging effects of inhaled pollutants. These properties make supplementary NAC a valuable component of any respiratory support program. Pure Lab’s NAC contains 600 milligrams of NAC per capsule.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that has a symbiotic relationship with glutathione. It raises glutathione levels; meanwhile, glutathione regenerates vitamins C and E, keeping them active in the tissues longer. Since Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient, it’s challenging to maintain high blood levels throughout the day with dietary sources alone. For longer lasting benefits, choose Pure Lab’s Slow Release Vitamin C. It’s a corn-free, easy way to support your glutathione levels.
Vitamin D may help preserve the body’s glutathione levels by managing inflammation. Vitamin D also appears to support glutathione peroxidase synthesis because it behaves like an antioxidant. Vitamin D is also an immune-balancer, in that it helps regulate the immune response so that it is not under-active nor over-active. With the cooling of the weather and the reduction in daylight hours as we transition from Summer to Autumn, supplementation becomes the easiest way to maintain the body’s vitamin D levels. Pure Lab’s Vitamin D3 products provide a dry, crystalline form of vitamin D3 that better resists oxidation from heat, light and oxygen than oils do, giving them a longer-lasting potency. Choose from regular Vitamin D3 and vegan Vitamin D3 varieties in 1000 iu and 2500 iu potencies.
Chances are good that you’re already using a few of these glutathione-boosters, but it’s important to fill any gaps to achieve full benefits. Consider utilizing extra supplementary glutathione-boosting nutrients daily throughout cold and flu season. In combination with adequate rest, they’ll help your immune system stay in tip-top shape this season and beyond.
References
Eske, Jamie. “4 Natural Ways to Increase Glutathione”. Medical News Today, Aug 30 2019.
Galland, Leo and Jonathan Galland. The Allergy Solution. Hay House Inc., 2016.
Kuhzarani, Cyrus. “Glutathione and the Cofactors”. March 3, 2021.
Patel, Nayan. “Is Glutathione Beneficial in Overcoming Viral and Bacterial Infections?” August 25, 2021.