Glutathione - the Natural Antioxidant
I maintain that careful, intelligent use of natural supplements can improve memory and help our aging brains adapt to today’s information overload. BUT, what supplements should we take…which are most beneficial with the least amount of possible side effects? Without a doubt, our first move should be toward supplementing antioxidants.
Antioxidants are truly nature’s little miracles. Their benefits are enormous and endless…they are true superstars in our bodies and our cells. They are on guard 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, protecting us from the free radicals that are produced by cellular action which occurs after we breathe in oxygen.
Each time we breathe in oxygen and our cells produce energy through normal everyday living processes, molecules inside of our cells react with the oxygen we inhale. This is called oxidative stress. Just like oxygen reacts with metal on a car and produces rust, “rust” (oxidation) happens in every single one our cells. In other words, every moment of every day, our cells are “rusting”…this rusting is known as “aging”. We experience oxidative stress in our cells, which leads to damaged tissues and damaged body organs…which will eventually lead to the many diseases of aging (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, dementia, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, etc.).
So we agree that we need to be taking an antioxidant supplement — but which one is best to take? I personally am big on ‘natural’ supplements, and every cell in our bodies have a natural antioxidant called glutathione.
Glutathione is produced by every cell in the body. It is so critical to cellular function that thousands and thousands of medical articles have been written about it. It is the body’s most powerful antioxidant…millions of times more effective than Vitamin C and E. Intracellular glutathione fights inflammation and preserves cellular health. It also works to help improve mental functions, increase energy, improve concentration, support increased exercise, and improve heart and lung function.
Glutathione has been shown to slow down the aging process, detoxify and improve liver function, strengthen the immune system, and reduce the chances of developing cancer. Glutathione also works to help improve mental functions, increase energy, improve concentration, permit increased exercise, and improve heart and lung function - just to name a few. IV glutathione is being examined as a possible treatment for autism (autism is often associated with low glutathione levels in the cells of the body).
The body’s supply of glutathione begins to decline 10% to 15% per decade starting at the age of twenty. Stress, exercise, infection, injury, and environmental toxins are a few things that significantly reduce glutathione. Low glutathione levels result in lower energy, higher cellular inflammation, greater vulnerability to cellular damge, accelerated aging, and less effective immune function.
Energy, healthy organs and skin (after all, your skin is an organ), and the ability to fight the damage caused by free radicals all require healthy cells. While adding antioxidants to your diet can be beneficial to supporting good health, it is glutathione…the natural antioxidant produced by your body… that is most important for protecting healthy cells.