Your Body’s Master Defender Against Disease and Aging

• Glutathione levels naturally decrease with age, which contributes to cellular damage, chronic disease, and accelerated aging.
  
•  Adequate GSH levels support the immune system, protect against neurodegenerative diseases, and may increase lifespan by reducing oxidative stress.
  
• Consuming protein-rich foods, antioxidant-rich vegetables, and avoiding toxins can help maintain GSH levels. Supplements and practices like meditation may also support GSH production. 

Declining GSH linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Our intake of protein allows the body to make GSH from three non-essential amino acids, glutamate, cysteine and glycine. Young adults should be able to meet all their requirements from the food they eat, but as we age, the ability to meet our needs declines. This makes us more vulnerable to health problems and reduces the chance of living a healthy and long life. In 2015, Japanese scientists wrote that “Decreased GSH levels are associated with the common features of aging as well as of a wide range of pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative disorders.” They went on to say that GSH depletion appeared to be critical in the onset of Parkinson’s disease. In fact, virtually every type of brain injury, disease or disorder is accompanied by reduced GSH levels in the brain, including Alzheimer’s. That’s why a number of researchers suggest that both the cause and progression of this disease is mainly due to a lack of brain antioxidants. The rest of the body ages much like the brain. GSH levels drop in the liver, lungs, heart, and eyes, increasing the risk of health problems in each of these organs.

GSH protects against the aging process

There is a very reliable link between GSH levels and lifespan. Studies in both insects and mammals show that it’s possible to extend life by 20% to 40% just by boosting deficient levels of GSH.  

Researchers at the University of Michigan looked at GSH as a marker of aging in 33 elderly people. They found those with higher compared to lower GSH levels had fewer illnesses, rated their health more highly, had lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight – and suffered less diabetes, arthritis and heart disease. 

 In another fascinating study of 82 participants, the researchers compared those under 50 to people aged 70 to 99 and to a group aged 100 and older. As expected, the younger age group had the highest levels of GSH, but what was of particular interest was the finding that centenarians had lower levels of oxidative stress (free radicals damage) and higher levels of GSH than did participants in the age group below them, the 70 to 99 group. This evidence suggests that GSH may be the determining factor in explaining why some people live longer than others.

Boost your GSH

Apart from ensuring adequate protein intake, one way of improving GSH status is to decrease its workload. Anything that reduces the body’s burden of toxins – for example, eating more organically grown food — will assist in this process. Lab studies suggest broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, beets, parsley, and turmeric may raise levels. 500 mL (a little under a pint) of alcohol-free beer a day raised red blood cell GSH by 29% in one human study. Raw milk and whey protein also boost GSH. In one study, practitioners of meditation had 20% higher levels. 

 The Japanese researchers mentioned above wrote that “GSH is now entering a new era of therapeutic applications.” In other words, it’s a bad idea to just accept whatever level of GSH your age or previous bad habits have dealt you. For good health and a long life, you need to take affirmative action to raise your GSH. Don’t leave it to chance. Green Valley has developed a formula that we believe is the best supplement science can currently devise for raising your GSH (glutathione) using something you can buy over the counter. Taking it will almost certainly boost your GSH level. 

 Will that, in turn, guarantee that you won’t get diseases? I can’t say that for sure. I’d have to spend $500 million on research to prove it, and I don’t happen to have the money. But based on the exciting findings I described above (and they’re just the tip of the iceberg), I think it’s worth it to raise your GSH level and see what happens. I’ll leave the final word with Thomas E Levy, M.D., board-certified cardiologist and author. “It is doubtful there exists any single factor more important in maintaining or regaining good health than normalizing GSH levels in the blood and inside the cells. The promise that effective GSH supplementation holds for mankind is staggering.”