Glutathione GSH

The best food sources of glutathione are fresh and raw; the antioxidant is virtually absent from grains and pasteurized dairy products, and substantially reduced when cooked or stored for long periods. One study done on glutathione fed to babies via human breast milk showed a 73-79% loss of glutathione after storage for 2 hours (unaffected by refrigeration vs. room temperature storage).¹ Consequently it is important to source food from local growers whenever possible, in order to avoid meat and produce which was refrigerated and trucked into the market from a great distance (even across oceans, in some cases).

Foods rich in sulfur containing amino acids tend to have the highest concentrations of glutathione. Raw (or rare, if you can’t stomach the uncooked) meats, raw eggs and raw (unpasteurized) milk are particularly good sources of glutathione. For vegetarians reading, there are also many excellent non-animal sources of glutathione in foods, but again beware of frozen/non-fresh supply, many of which have been especially compromised by being improperly picked in order to get them to the supermarket while still “ripe.” Fresh asparagus yields the highest glutathione concentration of any vegetable,² followed by broccoli and potatoes (and you thought they were ALL going to be leafy greens your kids would balk at). Other glutathione-rich fruits, veggies and legumes include walnuts, garlic, carrots, grapefruit, cauliflower, squash, okra, spinach, avocados and raw tomatoes. Un-denatured whey proteins are also a great source of glutathione for vegetarians, because they double as a convenient protein source.

In addition to the foods which contain glutathione directly are many containing compounds that encourage the body’s own natural production of glutathione. The herb milk-thistle, also known as silymarin, is an antioxidant many times more powerful than either vitamin E or C. It protects against liver damage and is one of the best herbs to help protect the liver’s levels of glutathione.³ There is also evidence that suggests that silymarin can increase the level of glutathione in liver cells by as much as 35%!⁴ Milk thistle can be consumed as a tea. Combine it with licorice root and dandelion root for a gently cleansing brew to support optimal liver function.

Curcumin, one of the principal active ingredients of tumeric, a popular spice used in Indian cooking and close relative of the ginger plant popular in Asian medicine, is thought to be a beneficial for increasing levels of glutathione in tissue. ⁵

Another traditional Asian medicinal is Balloon Flower root (or “Jie Geng” in Chinese pharmacies). Changkil saponins, active ingredients extracted from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum (balloon flower), increase intracellular glutathione, thereby noticeably minimizing damage to liver cells from free-radicals.⁶

Alpha Lipoic Acid, which can be easily obtained from eating red meat (especially organ meats like liver) as well as Brewer’s yeast, has been shown in a number of studies to increase levels of glutathione.⁷

If you’re still worried about ways to boost glutathione levels in your body, there are also several vitamins supplements you can take which will increase your body’s ability to produce glutathione. Riboflavin, selenium and Vitamin B6 are supplements which will help you regularly ensure an adequate supply of glutathione. Research has also found that taking a daily dose of Vitamin C raises the concentration of glutathione in red blood cells by as much as 50%.⁸ Such studies prove that providing adequate levels of all nutrients necessary to the body’s manufacture of glutathione is as important as providing a steady supply of “pre-fab” glutathione via dietary intake. If you don’t already, taking a daily multivitamin will help ensure that all the building blocks are necessary for you to jump start your health by building up a bigger supply of glutathione.

¹ Ankrah NA, Appiah-Opong R, Dzokoto C. Human breast milk storage and glutathione content. J Trop Pediatr. 2000;46(2):111-3.
² Jones, D.P. and others: Glutathione in foods listed in the National Cancer Institute’s health habits and history food frequency questionnaire, Nutrition and Cancer 17 (1), p. 57, 1992.
³ Chrungoo VJ et al. Indian J Exp Biol. 1997 Jun;35(6):611-7.
⁴ Valenzuela A et al. Planta Med. 1989 Oct;55(5):420-2.
⁵ Dickinson, D.A., Iles, K.E., Zhang, H., Blank, V., and Forman, H.J., Curcumin alters EpRE and AP-1 binding complexes and elevates glutamate-cysteine ligase gene expression, FASEB J. (2003) 17(3):473-475.
⁶ Lee KJ, Choi CY, Chung YC, Kim YS, Ryu SY, Roh SH, Jeong HG. Protective effect of saponins derived from roots of Platycodon grandiflorum on tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative hepatotoxicity. Toxicol Lett. 2004 Mar 7;147(3):271-82.
⁷ http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/alpha-lipoic-000285.htm
⁸ Johnston CJ, Meyer CG, Srilakshmi JC. Vitamin C elevates red blood cell glutathione in healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr 58:103-5, 1993