Glutathione (GSH) is a critical and very powerful antioxidant that helps neutralise free radicals inside our cells. Over 140,000 papers on its effects have been published in the last decade. Vitamin C and E depend on its presence to function fully. However, you must make it yourself; you cannot supplement or use IV glutathione.
What is Glutathione?
Glutathione is the second largest antioxidant that you make yourself. The number 1 antioxidant that you make is melatonin . Studies show clearly that in older people those with the highest blood levels of glutathione overcome illness quickest. You make about 10 per cent less as you reach 40 years of age; and 30 per cent less when you reach 60. This really explains everything. You make less with your increasing years - and so aging is linked to lowered production, and so is illness.
The immune booster
Without glutathione, T-cells cannot function properly. It’s as simple as that.
The energy driver
German work stemming from a 1998 Nobel Prize has shown that toxic cells lose their energy-producing ability and ’power down’. Below certain levels of power, protective genes cannot work. Glutathione levels seem to be very important in keeping cellular energy high. Some alternative cancer therapists focus on low glutathione levels found in the cells of cancer patients, trying to drive them, and thus oxygen levels, upwards.
The ’detoxifier’
GSH is a terrific cellular detoxifier, helping to break down the adverse effects of environmental toxins, from heavy metals to tobacco smoke and diesel fumes. It is produced in all cells of the body, specifically to break down these dangerous toxins and free-radicals.
It works in the gut, in the blood stream and in the cells. Its particular strength is with peroxides, the precursors of free-radicals, and also with bad fats.
How do I increase levels naturally?
Top natural providers of the raw materials are - green vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, avocado, asparagus, then watermelon, grapefruit, boiled potatoes, strawberries, raw tomatoes, oranges, and orange juice. The problem is that adults and especially children simply do not eat the levels of ’greens’ their forefathers ate. Other providers are garlic, onions, flaxseed, whey protein. Chlorella, wheatgrass and ’supergreen’ products also help you make glutathione and, in part, this explains the claims often made that they are strong on detoxification too.
However, while it is clear you must make adequate amounts; it is bad for you to falsify levels.
How does glutathione work?
Christine Mayr explained to the world, that there are no mew mutations in your DNA when you develop cancer. The Somatic Theory of cancer - that you have mutations inside your DNA and so you are doomed - is false. What happens is that your DNA is copied into messenger RNA which moves into the cellular microenvironment and there it makes copies called proteins. And you need these proteins for good health.
But toxins such as poor diet, smoking, alcohol, low oxygen, environmental toxins, hormones like cortisol (stress), oestrogen, and levothyroxine (thyroid) plus the toxins and mRNA from pathogens, can cause 'pollution' in that microenvironment. However, while you can reverse those factors, you also have two natural compounds that can help you clean this microenvironment up -
* Melatonin (made by the action of infra red sunlight on your mitochondria); and
* Glutathione (which is called up by the melatonin to help clean up the cells)
As a preventative measure, some experts suggest you can take 100 mg of glutathione with your meal. This is wrong; as is taking glutamine, an amino acid supplement (and a known reserve fuel for some cancers), or IV glutathione
Perhaps one thing might be beneficial - cysteine - which can ensure you have enough raw materials. Some people take N-acetyl cysteine.
Glutathione and cancer - the double edged sword?
Glutathione - there are two forms - GSH and GSSG. Basically, GSH is the antioxidant, and GSSG is the spent form, after it has done its anti-free radical, and cleansing job.
GSH metabolism plays both beneficial and pathogenic roles in a variety of cancers. It is crucial to the removal and detoxification of carcinogens, and alterations in this pathway can have a profound effect on cell survival. However, excess GSH promotes tumor progression, where elevated levels correlate with increased metastasis (1).
So what is this all about? While it has long been known that high glutathione levels seem to prevent illness, control aging and can reduce cancer risk, as we said above, there are two types of glutathione - the good type and the bad type GSH and GSSG. You can't really produce too much of the good stuff GSH. Your body knows this - it needs to have some free radical left in cells untouched by GSH - for example, to kill off viruses and other pathogens.
However, falsify levels with supplements or IV, and you could be asking for trouble. Too much GSH can act as a blocker of chemo and even promote a cancer especially if it is in the GSSG spent form.
There is evidence that cancer cells defend themselves from chemotherapy attack by hiking up their glutathione levels to detoxify it! You could help, of course by taking IV glutathione, or supplements of glutathione. Cancer cells may also be more resistant to death because of high GSSG levels; the spent type of glutathione and this may even be controlled by heredity. German and Spanish researchers both noted this phenomenon and a high presence of an enzyme, glutathione-S-transferase in cancer cells. Cancer cells convert good GSH to the GSSG form.
In this way, excess Glutathione can promote tumor progression, where elevated levels correlate with increased metastasis. And Glutathione can cause treatment resistance in growing cancers (2). Be very clear though, that cells contain both the GSH form and the GSSG form. And according to the research, it is the GSSG form that causes problems in the cell.
However, to repeat, Glutathione is invariably dubbed GSH, when that is only one form. But even GSH in excess, can block chemotherapy and even promote cancer. IV glutathione has been shown to destroy chemo drugs' effects on cancer cells.
American researchers have tried to feed the GSSG a drug, called PANA/NO, that converts to deadly nitric oxide and kills the cancer cell in the presence of this enzyme.
Glutathione - the bottom line
Make it, don't fake it.
Frankly, I have a simple message. Make Glutathione naturally. Just eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially greens AND LET YOUR BODY PRODUCE THE AMOUNT IT NEEDS TO DO THE JOB REQUIRED.
Also, take probiotics to help their detoxification action, and release their crucial vitamins and cancer-fighting natural compounds like vitamin K. Also you might look into boosting your ’greens’ with chlorella, wheatgrass and other ’supergreens’ too.
*************************************************
People who read this article, also read:
At last!! The definitive, research-based book on how to build a diet to help beat cancer. Click here to read about it.
Please be clear: At CANCERactive we do not consider the above compound to be a cure for cancer, despite what the research says or experts doing the research may claim. The above, is an article on the compound from published research and expert opinion in the public domain. At CANCERactive we do not believe that any single compound (drug, vitamin, whatever) is a cure for cancer. We believe that people can significantly increase their personal odds of survival by building an Integrated Programme of treatments. Equally, cancer prevention is best practiced through a width of measures.
References