| DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: Glutathione | | | | pasteurization reduces glutathione content, |
| (GSH) is an antioxidant and detoxifying agent | | | | and storage also impacts the glutathione |
| whose protective role has been demonstrated | | | | content of foods. In human breast milk put |
| in numerous clinical studies. GSH is | | | | aside for later use by breast-fed babies, a |
| synthesized rapidly in the liver, kidneys, | | | | 73-79% loss of glutathione occurred when the |
| and other tissues of the body, including the | | | | milk was either kept at room temperature or |
| gastrointestinal tract. This process is | | | | refrigerated for two hours. (Ankrah NA, |
| effected by aging and disease, as both of | | | | Appiah-Opong R, Dzokoto C. Human breastmilk |
| these conditions result in reduced tissue and | | | | storage and the glutathione content. J Trop |
| blood levels of glutathione. Dietary forms of | | | | Pediatr. 2000;46(2):111-3.)FRUITS & |
| glutathione are efficiently absorbed into the | | | | VEGETABLES: Fresh fruits and vegetables |
| blood, however the same is not true for | | | | provide excellent levels of glutathione, but |
| glutathione supplements in humans.When | | | | cooked foods contained far less or none at |
| healthy subjects were given a single dose of | | | | all, and highly processed foods contain less |
| up to 3,000 mg of glutathione researchers | | | | than minimally processed cooked foods. |
| found there was no increase in blood | | | | Glutathione assays of fruits and vegetables |
| glutathione levels. (Witschi A, Reddy S, | | | | may yield contrasting results because |
| Stofer B, Lauterburg BH. The systemic | | | | glutathione levels vary both diurnally (KOIKE |
| availability of oral glutathione. Eur J Clin | | | | S, PATTERSON BD (1988) Diurnal variation of |
| Pharmacol 1992;43(6):667-9.) The authors of | | | | glutathione levels in tomato seedlings. Hort |
| this study concluded "it is not feasible to | | | | Sci 23: 713-714; SCHUPP R, RENNENBERG H |
| increase circulating glutathione to a | | | | (1988) Diurnal changes in the glutathione |
| clinically beneficial extent by the oral | | | | content of spruce needles (Picea abies L.) |
| administrating of a single dose of 3 g of | | | | Plant Sci 57: 113-117 ) with the stage of |
| glutathione." Johnson and coworkers (Johnston | | | | development of the plant (EARNSHAW BA, |
| CJ, Meyer CG, Srilakshmi JC. Vitamin C | | | | JOHNSON MA (1987) Control of wild carrot |
| elevates red blood cell glutathione in | | | | somatic embryo development by antioxidants. |
| healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr 58:103-5, | | | | Plant Physiol 85: 273-276;), and due to |
| 1993) found that blood glutathione levels | | | | various environmental factors (DE KOK LJ, DE |
| rose nearly 50% in healthy individuals taking | | | | KAN PJL, TANCZOS OG, KUIPER PJC (1981) |
| 500 mg of vitamin C daily. Vitamin C | | | | Sulphate-induced accumulation of glutathione |
| facilitates an increase in blood glutathione | | | | and frost-tolerance of spinach leaf tissue. |
| levels by supplying the body with a nutrient | | | | Physiol Plant 53: 435-438; WISE RR, NAYLOR AW |
| that is critical to the manufacture of it.In | | | | (1987) Chilling-enhanced photooxidation. The |
| addition, to vitamin C, dietary sources of | | | | peroxidative destruction of lipids during |
| glutathione and several other nutritional | | | | chilling injury to photosynthesis and |
| compounds can help increase glutathione | | | | ultrastructure. Plant Physiol 83: |
| levels including N-acetylcysteine (NAC), | | | | 272-277).Asparagus contains more glutathione |
| alpha-lipoic acid, glutamine, methionine, and | | | | than all other fruits and vegetables analyzed |
| undenatured whey protein (Bounous, G., and | | | | to date. (Jones, D.P. and others: Glutathione |
| Gold, P., The biological activity of | | | | in foods listed in the National Cancer |
| undenatured dietary whey proteins | | | | Institute's health habits and history food |
| [Immunocal]: role of glutathione, Clin. | | | | frequency questionnaire, Nutrition and Cancer |
| Invest. Med. (1991) 14(4):296-309.). | | | | 17 (1), p. 57, 1992.) In a study which |
| N-acetylcysteine has been used in combination | | | | compared the overall antioxidant activity of |
| with glutamic acid (or glutamine) and glycine | | | | potatoes, bell peppers, carrots, onions and |
| (Clark, J. at and in addition, NAC has been | | | | broccoli, potatoes ranked second highest |
| studied in combination with dietary proteins | | | | after broccoli.Per serving, asparagus, |
| (Quig, D., Cysteine metabolism and metal | | | | avocadoes, asparagus, squash, okra, |
| toxicity, Alternative Medicine Review (1998) | | | | cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, spinach, |
| 3(4):262-270.).HERBS: The herb milk-thistle, | | | | walnuts, garlic, and raw tomatoes have the |
| an excellent source of the antioxidant | | | | highest glutathione content compared to other |
| compound silymarin may help to prevent | | | | vegetables and are particularly rich dietary |
| glutathione depletion in the liver. Silymarin | | | | sources of glutathione (please see the Table |
| is many times more potent in antioxidant | | | | 1. below).Table 1. Comparison of Glutathione |
| activity than the better known antioxidant | | | | in Fresh vs. Cooked Foods |
| vitamins E and vitamin C. The protective | | | | |
| effect of silymarin against liver damage has | | | | (in milligrams per 3 1/2 oz (100 g) |
| been demonstrated in a number of scientific | | | | serving)Food Glutathione Content |
| studies. Silymarin has been shown to protect | | | | |
| against liver damage by extremely toxic | | | | Apples Uncooked: 21.0 mg Cooked: 0.0 mg |
| chemicals (this toxicity is mediated by their | | | | |
| ability to produce dangerous and destructive | | | | Carrots Uncooked: 74.6 mg Cooked: 0.0 mg |
| unstable compounds called free radicals) | | | | |
| including amanita toxin, carbon | | | | |
| tetrachloride, galactosamine, and | | | | Grapefruit Uncooked: 70.6 mg Cooked: 0.0 |
| praseodymium nitrate. Silymarin enhances | | | | mg |
| detoxification in the liver by preventing the | | | | |
| depletion of glutathione.Glutathione in the | | | | Spinach Uncooked: 166 mg Cooked: 27.1 mg |
| liver is essential to the liver's ability to | | | | |
| detoxify. The higher the liver glutathione | | | | |
| content, the greater the liver's capacity to | | | | Spinach (4) Uncooked: 9.65 mg Cooked: N |
| detoxify harmful chemicals. Chemicals which | | | | A mg |
| can damage the liver, (including alcohol and | | | | |
| acetominophen), cause the concentration of | | | | Tomatoes Uncooked: 169 mg Cooked: 0.0 mg |
| glutathione in the liver is substantially | | | | |
| reduced, making the hepatocytes (liver cells) | | | | |
| susceptible to damage. Silymarin not only | | | | Asparagus (4) Uncooked: 28.3 mg Cooked: |
| prevents the depletion of glutathione induced | | | | N/A mg |
| by alcohol and other toxins (Chrungoo VJ et | | | | |
| al. Indian J Exp Biol. 1997 | | | | Avocado (4) Uncooked: 27.7 mg Cooked: N |
| Jun;35(6):611-7.), but can increase the level | | | | A mg |
| of glutathione in the cells of the liver | | | | |
| (hepatocytes) (Valenzuela A et al. Planta | | | | Purslane (4) Uncooked: 14.81 mg Cooked: |
| Med. 1989 Oct;55(5):420-2.), and possibly by | | | | N/A mg(1). JONES DP, COATES RJ, FLAGG EW, et |
| up to 35%.Curcumin may also be useful as an | | | | al. (1992) Glutathione in Foods listed in the |
| agent to increase tissue glutathione levels | | | | National Cancer Institute's Health Habits and |
| (Dickinson, D.A., Iles, K.E., Zhang, H., | | | | History Food Frequency Questionnaire. Nutr |
| Blank, V., and Forman, H.J., Curcumin alters | | | | Cancer 17: 57-75(2). BLOCK G, DRESSER CM, |
| EpRE and AP-1 binding complexes and elevates | | | | HARTMAN AM, CARROLL MD (1985) Nutrient |
| glutamate-cysteine ligase gene expression, | | | | sources in the American diet: Quantitative |
| FASEB J. (2003) 17(3):473-475.)Alpha Lipoic | | | | data from the NHANES II Survey. I. Vitamins |
| Acid has also demonstrated it's ability to | | | | and Minerals. Am J Epidemiol 122: 13-26(3). |
| increase glutathione levels and act as a | | | | BLOCK G, DRESSER CM, HARTMAN AM, CARROLL MD |
| potent antioxidant in numerous scientific | | | | (1985) Nutrient sources in the American diet: |
| studies.VITAMINS & MINERALS: vitamin B6, | | | | Quantitative data from the NHANES II Survey. |
| riboflavin, and selenium are required in the | | | | Macronutrients and Fats. Am J Epidemiol 122: |
| manufacture of glutathione, and adequate | | | | 27-40(4) SIMOPOULOS AP, NORMAN HA, GILLASPY |
| dietary consumption of foods rich in (or | | | | JE (1995) Purslane in human nutrition and its |
| supplementation with) these vitamins and | | | | potential for world agriculture. World Rev |
| minerals can help the body to optimize | | | | Nutr Diet 77: 47-74Posted at: Petrosino |
| glutathione production.MILK PRODUCTS & MEAT: | | | | received his Baccalaureate degree from Penn |
| Dietary glutathione occurs in highest amounts | | | | State University in 1975, pursued his Masters |
| in fresh (uncooked) meats, in moderate | | | | degree with honors at Penn State in 1978, and |
| amounts in certain raw fruits and vegetables, | | | | graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Doctorate in |
| and is absent or found only in small amounts | | | | Nutrition from Lasalle University |
| in grains and pasteurized dairy products | | | | (Mandeville) in 1995. His doctoral |
| (JONES DP, COATES RJ, FLAGG EW, et al. (1992) | | | | dissertation examined the effects of race and |
| Glutathione in Foods listed in the National | | | | poverty on cardiovascular health. He was an |
| Cancer Institute's Health Habits and History | | | | Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at LaSalle |
| Food Frequency Questionnaire. Nutr Cancer 17: | | | | University (1995-1999); a member of the |
| 57-75 ). Foods richest in sulfur-containing | | | | National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus |
| amino acids are usually the best source of | | | | Development Committee on Cardiovascular |
| glutathione. Although undenatured whey | | | | Disease; a Professional Member and Charter |
| protein is one of the best precursors | | | | Member of the American Heart Association |
| (building blocks) for glutathione, it | | | | Scientific Council on Epidemiology and |
| contains only moderate levels of naturally | | | | Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease; a |
| occuring glutathione. Freshly prepared (rare | | | | Professional Member and Charter Member of the |
| or raw) meats, raw (unpasturized) milk, and | | | | American Heart Association Scientific Council |
| raw eggs are also an especially rich source | | | | on Nutrition, Physical Activity and |
| of glutathione. Cooking and high-heat | | | | Metabolism... |