Glutathione-Rich Foods: Boost Your Levels With These Nutrient-Dense Options
Glutathione is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in your body, protecting your liver and other organs from damage. Glutathione is a tripeptide composed of L-glutamine, glycine, and L-cysteine. Since glutathione is so essential to overall health and stress and aging are known to cause glutathione deficiencies, there are many benefits to taking glutathione injections or supplements or consuming glutathione and its precursors in your diet.
Table of Contents
What Causes Low Glutathione Levels?
Stresses on your body contribute to low glutathione levels, such as:1,2
- Poor nutrition
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Sleep deprivation
- Environmental toxins
- Pollution
- Aging
- Increased exposure to heavy metals
- Infections
- Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer
- Excessively strenuous physical activity
Aging and stress deplete glutathione, which leaves your liver vulnerable to damage from Tylenol and other toxins.
What Are The Symptoms Of Low Glutathione?
Glutathione levels decline in body cells during the aging process, even if you are overall healthy.3
Symptoms associated with low glutathione levels include:
- Weight gain
- Male infertility
- Fatigue
- Frequent infections
- Skin damage
- Joint and muscle aches
How Can I Increase My Glutathione Naturally?
Glutathione is produced naturally in our body in three ways:4
- De novo synthesis: making glutathione from its precursor amino acids
- Regeneration from reduced glutathione (GSH) by glutathione reductase: cycling back and forth between accepting and donating electrons
- Recycling of cysteine from conjugated glutathione
Getting glutathione intact from the mouth through the gastrointestinal tract, across the intestine, into the bloodstream, and into cells is challenging. Glutathione is broken down into its component amino acids in the gastrointestinal tract. There is a balance between the amount of glutathione produced in the liver and excreted into the bloodstream and glutathione absorbed through the gut. Body cells have a hard time absorbing glutathione intact. Ensuring your diet is high in L-cysteine, L-glutamine, and glycine provides the building blocks it needs to produce glutathione.5 The glutathione precursors are found in many foods and drinks, such as the following. 5,6
L-cysteine
Your body makes cysteine from methionine, an essential amino acid. Neither cysteine nor methionine is stored in the body, so consuming them in your diet or taking supplements is essential. 6
Foods high in cysteine or methionine include:
- Poultry
- Beef
- Chicken
- Pork
- Lamb
- Tuna
- Legumes
- Lentils
- Oatmeal and whole grains
- Dairy: yogurt, cheese, eggs
- Nuts and seeds
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Mustard greens
- Watercress
- Garlic
- Shallots
- Onions
Glycine
Your body can make glycine, and it is found in:
- Gelatin
- Bone broth
- Red meats
- Legumes
- Seeds
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Pork
- Peanuts
- Cheeses
- Grains
- Dairy products
L-glutamate
Glutamate can be made in your body and consumed in your diet. Glutamate is found in:
- Cheese
- Sauces
- Flavorings
- Nuts
- Processed meats
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Onions
- Peas
- Spinach
- Tomatoes,
- Seafood
- Green tea
- Fermented soy products
In addition to building a healthy diet around these nutritious foods, choose foods and drinks rich in vitamin C and selenium. Like glutathione, vitamin C is an antioxidant. Supplementing with it can help spare glutathione.
Selenium is a glutathione cofactor and an essential mineral. It can help optimize glutathione function.
Besides good nutrition, getting plenty of restful sleep and exercising regularly can increase glutathione levels.
If you’re wondering how to get enough glutathione for good health, reach out to the treatment specialists at Invigor Medical.
Looking to purchase and get a Glutathione prescription? Shop Invigor Medical today!
References
- Kanagasabai T, Ardern CI. Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants Contribute to Selected Sleep Quality and Cardiometabolic Health Relationships: A Cross-Sectional Study. Mediators Inflamm. 2015;2015:824589. doi:10.1155/2015/824589
- Flora SJ, Mittal M, Mehta A. Heavy metal induced oxidative stress & its possible reversal by chelation therapy. Indian J Med Res. Oct 2008;128(4):501-23.
- Lang CA, Naryshkin S, Schneider DL, Mills BJ, Lindeman RD. Low blood glutathione levels in healthy aging adults. J Lab Clin Med. 1992 Nov;120(5):720-5. PMID: 1431500.
- Pizzorno J. Glutathione! Integr Med (Encinitas). Feb 2014;13(1):8-12.
- Gould RL, Pazdro R. Impact of Supplementary Amino Acids, Micronutrients, and Overall Diet on Glutathione Homeostasis. Nutrients. May 11 2019;11(5)doi:10.3390/nu1105105
- Minich DM, Brown BI. A Review of Dietary (Phyto)Nutrients for Glutathione Support. Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2073. doi:10.3390/nu11092073
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