As an antioxidant, glutathione (GSH) is one of the most important substances in my program. A small tripeptide (composed of three amino acids) found in all our cells, GSH performs as an antioxidant by detoxifying hydrogen peroxide into water molecules before it can be transformed into a dangerous hydroxyl free radical. This decreases the long-term risk of cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases. This antioxidant action of GSH is catalyzed (sped up) by the selenium-containing enzyme, glutathione peroxidase (GPX).
GSH is important in all cells, particularly so in our livers. We are exposed to different toxins every day—for example, the average American is exposed to fourteen pounds of food additives each year, many of which are toxic, and when these toxins enter our bodies, our livers activate the cytochrome P-450 enzymes. These enzymes then convert the toxic compounds to less toxic substances that can be excreted out of the body (this process is called the “phase-I” liver reaction).
Phase-I liver reactions also create large amounts of free radicals; therefore, in what is known as the phase-II reactions in the liver, GSH and other antioxidants neutralize them. If you have a lot of oxidative stress (due to excess exposure to environmental toxins, or if you are a smoker or drink alcohol excessively), your phase-I liver enzymes are working overtime. And if your phase-I enzymes are working hard, your phase-II reactions had better be up to the task (which means having lots of GSH around), or the result may eventually be liver damage due to excess generation of free radicals.
GSH is probably even working on toxic substances in your diet before they reach your liver. That is because in mammals it seems to be present in the cells that line the intestine, which are the first line of defense against toxic compounds being absorbed into the body. More importantly, these cells seem to be able to take up GSH and use it to protect against toxins entering the blood. This was clearly shown in a study in which these special intestinal epithelial cells were isolated from rats and GSH was added to the medium; when GSH was added twenty minutes before a highly toxic, oxidizing compound was introduced, the intestinal cells were protected against the damaging effects of the toxin. If these cells do become damaged, toxic substances in your diet can be absorbed and enter your bloodstream. Some physicians call this the “leaky-gut syndrome,” which plays a role in the onset of many chronic illnesses, such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
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