Do You Have a Glutathione Deficiency?

In the world of health, antioxidants are king. Eating berries and kale is one way to make sure you are getting enough antioxidants. However, there is one antioxidant that rules them all: glutathione. Sadly, many people have a glutathione deficiency. 

If you’re considering a heavy metal detox, parasite detox, or mycotoxin detox, taking extra glutathione is essential. This mighty little molecule is your body’s master detoxifier. No other nutrient works as hard to get rid of toxins, chemicals, and free radicals. Unfortunately, these very toxins can also glutathione production in the body. 

Knowing how to raise glutathione levels can help support your body’s production. In this article, I will show you how to do that. Before I get into that, however, let’s look closer at this powerful peptide.

What is Glutathione? 

Glutathione, or GSH, is a tripeptide. It consists of three amino acids: L-cysteine, L-glutamic acid, and glycine.¹ Your liver produces and recycles this peptide on a continual basis. It is also found in every single cell in your body. 

As I mentioned before, glutathione is the most important detoxifying molecule you have. Toxins are everywhere these days. They are in the air, in our food, and in our water. Pesticides, heavy metals, and molds affect us every day. Glutathione helps clear heavy metals such as mercury, aluminum, and cadmium from your body. It also helps remove toxins found in plastics and conventional cosmetic products. Additionally, it helps clear mycotoxins from mold. 

One of the ways glutathione detoxification works is due to its high sulfur content. Sulfur is sticky, so toxins and free radicals adhere to it. From there, they are then removed from your system.

What Causes Glutathione Deficiency?

Environmental toxins aren’t the only factors that inhibit glutathione detoxification. Autoimmune disease, medications, and stress can lower glutathione levels. Other factors include trauma, aging, infections, poor diet, pollution, and radiation. Viruses such as COVID-19 can also cause glutathione deficiency in some people²

Some of these factors are out of your control, such as aging and our environment. However, there are other factors you can influence. Strenuous physical activity over longer periods of time can lead to glutathione deficiency. Think of marathon runners or professional athletes. 

If you want to know how to raise glutathione levels, eating lots of antioxidant foods is one way. Try adding fresh, organic strawberries or blueberries to salads. Or, take them with you as a snack! These glutathione foods are rich in other nutrients as well. Another way to boost your levels is by taking a glutathione supplement.

What Happens When You Don’t Have Enough Glutathione?

When you don’t have enough of this free-radical fighter, your body suffers. Oxidative stress creates inflammation at a cellular level. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that are missing their second electron. Since they are unstable in this form, they stop at nothing to find that missing electron. 

Usually, antioxidants step in to donate an electron. The free radical is then stabilized. However, when you don’t have enough antioxidants, free radicals will steal them. Furthermore, they take them from healthy cells. 

Free radicals can cause significant damage. They can impact all living cells, tissues, and even your DNA. Over time, this leads to chronic disease, autoimmunity, and cancer. It can also affect how quickly you age. This is why it is important to maintain optimal levels of glutathione. To reap glutathione benefits, you need to be consuming the right foods. Additionally, supplementation can help combat these electron-stealing free radicals.

Glutathione Benefits

I’m always amazed by all the glutathione benefits available to us. Let’s face it, we live in a toxic work. This means we need to be extra vigilant about detoxing regularly. Glutathione is a powerful ally during heavy metal detox. It traps heavy metals like cadmium, mercury, and aluminum and carries them safely out of the body. Another benefit is when you are doing a mycotoxin detox. Getting enough glutathione can help escort harmful mold toxins and repair neurodegenerative damage. 

Those with autoimmune conditions can also enjoy glutathione benefits. Autoimmune disorders have ties to inflammation in the body. Calming down the inflammation is one way to manage autoimmune symptoms. Getting to the root cause can also completely reverse it! Glutathione provides antioxidant support that helps mop up free radical damage. Remember, free radicals harm cells, tissues, and organs. In effect, this powerful antioxidant benefits autoimmunity by reducing systemic inflammation.You might not know this, but glutathione can also help enhance metabolic health. One way it does this is by working with the body to promote lean muscle mass. This can support athletic performance and recovery. It also plays a role in correcting insulin resistance³

How To Test Glutathione Levels

If you want to know how to raise glutathione levels, you need to know where they are currently at. Your single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is an indicator of a genetic mutation. The GSTM1 gene helps your body process glutathione. If you have a GSTM1 SNP, you can support a healthy level of glutathione through diet alone. Make sure you are eating plenty of cruciferous vegetables. Examples include broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts. Additionally, include a glutathione supplement that your body can absorb. 

It is not standard practice for conventional medicine doctors to test glutathione levels. Furthermore, most are not trained on how to do so. Glutathione testing is not always reliable, either. This is partly because the levels in your body fluctuate. Companies are aware of this and are attempting to develop more accurate tests. 

Your functional medicine doctor may be able to test glutathione levels. If so, they will look at both red blood cells (RBC) and plasma. Plasma testing generally reflects both the reduced and oxidized forms of this peptide. If you do get a test, the parameters are:

The normal ranges in plasma:⁴

• Reduced GSH: 3.8 – 5.5 umol/L
• GSS (oxidized glutathione): 0.16 – 0.50 umol/L
• Total glutathione (GSH+GSSG): 3.8 – 5.5 umol/L
• The standard reference range in RBCs:
• 1,000-1,900 umol/L (some clinicians consider 1,100 -1,200 umol/L to be “low.”) 

Due to inaccuracies, I prefer to diagnose a deficiency based on symptoms. Now that you understand what your levels should be, let’s talk about the signs of a glutathione deficiency. 

How Do You Know If You Have a Glutathione Deficiency?

Because we don’t live in a perfect world and are all aging, we all need some support in maintaining our glutathione levels at times. Here are some early warning signs that you may have a mild to moderate deficiency:⁵

• Lack of energy
• Joint and muscle aches and pains
• Foggy brain
• Low immunity
• Poor sleep

These are the symptoms of a severe insufficiency:⁶

• Anemia (low levels of iron)
• Metabolic acidosis (build-up of too much acid in the body)
• Frequent infections
• Seizures, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease
• Loss of coordination (Ataxia)
• Liver disease
• Heart attack and stroke⁷

If you feel like you have a deficiency, I recommend increasing supplemental glutathione levels using the methods I outline below. 

How Do You Get Enough Glutathione?

As discussed earlier, glutathione is produced naturally in your body, and maintaining optimal levels of it can be enhanced through a healthy lifestyle. Minimizing stress, toxins, infections, and getting plenty of sleep and exercise all support glutathione production in your body.  

How To Raise Glutathione Levels

• As I discussed earlier, your body produces glutathione on its own. That said, certain lifestyle changes can help you maintain optimal levels. Minimizing stress, toxins, and infections can help. Additionally, getting plenty of sleep and exercise all support glutathione production. 
• Consume Foods High In Glutathione: Your body needs sulfur to synthesize glutathione. Beef, fish, and poultry have sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine. These compounds also exist in cruciferous vegetables. Examples include cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. These glutathione foods can help you increase production.
• Get Enough Sleep: Sleep is a vital part of daytime cognitive function. It can even play a part in detoxifying your body. When you don’t get enough sleep, your risk of developing chronic issues. Examples include hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. You are also more likely to develop depression and obesity.
• Incorporate Selenium-rich Foods: Selenium is a glutathione cofactor. It is needed in all glutathione activity. Foods such as Brazil nuts, fish, sunflower seeds, and bananas all contain selenium. 
• Supplement with Turmeric Extract: This vibrant herb contains the powerful antioxidant curcumin. In some studies, curcumin has been shown to naturally increase glutathione levels.8

• Reduce Stress Levels: Stress isn’t only a feeling. It’s a physical response that can lead to hormonal imbalances. It can even disrupt the balance between antioxidants and free radicals. No one can avoid stress completely. Even so, finding ways to relax can make all the difference. Try gentle activities such as being outdoors, meditation, prayer, or listening to music. These are all great ways to keep your body and mind balanced.

Additional Ways to Combat Glutathione Deficiency

When your toxic burden is high or you are under a lot of stress, you body uses up glutathione at a rapid pace. This is why a glutathione supplement is crucial. The right ones can help you enjoy glutathione benefits on a daily basis. Unfortunately, most oral glutathione supplements on the market just don’t work! 

What is glutathione? It’s your master antioxidant. After years of research and clinical experience, I discovered the optimal form, molecular structure, and delivery method glutathione needs to have have maximum impact. 

I formulated Acetyl-Glutathione which uses an acetylation process and microcluster molecular structure. It’s the most advanced product available! This process ensures that it won’t break down before your body has a chance to absorb it. Additionally, it is in the right form to ensure optimal absorption.

It’s important to combine the added acetylated glutathione with a healthy diet. Get plenty of sleep, and exercise. By doing this, you’re ensuring that your body has enough of this master detoxifier.