What is glutathione?

Glutathione is a tripeptide made from 3 amino acids (glycine, cystine and glutamic acid) and is found in most cells within the body.

It is often referred to as the master antioxidant as it attacks oxidative damage in a number of ways. It can shield cell molecules from damage, directly quench the free radicals as well as target some of the route causes of oxidative stress including mercury and environmental toxins, transporting them out of the body.

What are the benefits of glutathione?

Liver health support

It is involved in the detoxification of internal and external compounds by a number of mechanism facilitating their excretion from the body including phase 2 liver detoxification.

Part of the reason for reaching master status is it’s ability to re-generate other antioxidants like vitamins C and E when they are at the limit of their anti-oxidant capacity. Glutathione is also a co-factor for several anti-oxidant enzymes making it a great all-round team player.

In order to keep glutathione levels high within our bodies, there are a number of things we can do. Firstly, we can reduce our exposure to toxins, by doing so we reduce the need for glutathione to mop up the damage. We can also ensure we consume adequate levels of dietary cysteine (one of the amino acids making up glutathione) from poultry, eggs and whole grains.

Supplementation is also an option both in the form of N-Acetyl-Cysteine and glutathione itself.

Glutathione for dental support

Glutathione (GSH) is produced in the cytoplasm of all human cells and synthesis is upregulated in response to oxidative stress. Glutathione serves as an electron donor and in the process is converted to its oxidised form (GSSG). Once oxidised, glutathione can be recycled (ie reduced back) to its reduced form – GSH. The ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) to oxidised ie ‘spent’ glutathione (GSSG) within cells is used as a measure of cellular oxidative stress. In healthy cells and tissue, more than 90% of the total glutathione pool is in the reduced form (GSH) and less than 10% exists in the oxidised form (GSSG).

Glutathione can effectively scavenge free radicals both directly and through enzymatic reaction. It can also maintain antioxidants such as vitamins C and E in their reduced (ie active) forms. Studies have demonstrated high concentrations of glutathione in gingival crevicular fluid (fluid in gum crevices), saliva, serum and gingival tissues of healthy individuals.

Periodontal disease (periodontitis) is a chronic condition that is estimated to affect 10-15% of the world population. It is a major cause of tooth loss and associated with increased (aberrant) inflammation in response to plaque biofilm, produced by bacteria, and decreased antioxidant activity in saliva, resulting in loss of periodontal and bone support.