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