Re: Glutiathione: Mother of All Antioxidants

[Guest guest]

Hi Penny,

The meds listed in this blog are very similar to the amalgam removal protocol that I followed a few years ago, when I was displaying acute symptoms of mercury toxicity.

However, I did notice something not mentoined here, as this MD is totally pro-Glutathione. If you take it for, let's say, acute (not chronic) mercury poisoning, then it is acceptable. However, you are supposed to taper off at some point. If you do not, your own hepatic system will slowly stop manufacturing this substrate. So, I think that you can clearly see that this can actually do more harm than good, if taken in the long term.

Just thought it was a significant point of mention. I am a pharmacist, and did alot of research when I had developed acute symptoms of mercury toxicity. I remember very well that the tapering off of Glutathione was mentoined in more than one reference.

<<One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein -- so you wouldn't get the benefits if you did it this way>>

I do not totally agree with this. Glutathione does get absorped, but very poorly. So, if you are taking it in an acute situation, you need to take alot of it. I remember taking really high dose back them (500mg twice daily). Just FYI.

I just thought it would be best for the discussion group, that received the link to this guy's blog, know about the things that I had mentoined. I would hate to see someone harm themselves unnecessarily, by taking something like this med long term b/c of lack of knowledge about it.

Please let me know if you have any questions, or need more insight.

Thanks.

Jimmy,

From: Penny Houle <pennyhoule@...>Subject: [infections] Glutiathione: Mother of All Antioxidants"infection & Inflammation group" <infections >Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010, 11:54 AM

http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ dr-mark-hyman/ glutathione- the-mother- of_b_530494. html

Mark Hyman, MD

Posted: April 10, 2010 09:49 AM Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants

It's the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent disease -- yet you've probably never heard of it. It's the secret to prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer's

disease. There are more than 89,000 medical articles about it -- but your doctor doesn't know how address the epidemic deficiency of this critical life-giving molecule ...

What is it? I'm talking about the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system: GLUTATHIONE (pronounced "gloota-thigh- own").

The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver

gets overloaded and damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.

In treating chronically ill patients with Functional Medicine for more than 10 years, I have discovered that glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very ill patients. These include people with chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease, cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney problems, liver disease and more.At first I thought that this was just a coincidental finding, but over the years I have come to realize that our ability to produce and maintain a high level of glutathione is critical to recovery from nearly all chronic illness -- and to preventing disease and maintaining optimal health and performance. The authors of those 76,000 medical articles on

glutathione I mentioned earlier have found the same thing!

So in today's blog I want to explain what glutathione is, why it's important and give you 9 tips that will help you optimize your glutathione levels, improve your detoxification system and protect help yourself from chronic illness.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids -- cysteine, glycine and glutamine.

The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals.

Normally glutathione is recycled in the body -- except when the toxic load becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble ...

In my practice, I test the genes involved in glutathione metabolism. These are the genes involved in producing enzymes that allow the body to create and recycle glutathione in the body. These genes have many names, such as GSTM1, GSTP1 and more.

These genes impaired in some people for a variety of important reasons. We humans evolved in a time before the 80,000 toxic industrial chemicals found in our environment today were introduced into our world, before electromagnetic radiation was everywhere and before we polluted our skies, lakes, rivers, oceans and teeth with mercury and lead.

That is why most people survived with the basic version of the genetic detoxification software encoded in our DNA, which is mediocre at ridding the body of toxins. At the time humans evolved we just didn't need more. Who knew we would be poisoning ourselves and eating a processed, nutrient-depleted diet thousands of years later?

Because most of us didn't require additional detoxification software, almost of half of the population now has a limited capacity to get rid of toxins. These people are missing GSTM1 function -- one of the most important genes needed in the process of creating and recycling glutathione in the body.

Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene. That includes me. Twenty years ago I became mercury poisoned and suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome due to this very problem. My GSTM1 function was inadequate and I didn't produce enough glutathione as a result. Eventually, my body broke down and I became extremely ill ...

This is the same problem I see in so many of my patients. They are missing this critical gene and they descend into disease as a result. Let me explain how this happens ...

The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness

Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can "reduce" or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.

However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can't get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.

But that's not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That's why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.(i)

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.

If you are sick or old or are just not in peak shape, you likely have glutathione deficiency. In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly. (ii)

Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease and aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. I'll say it again ... Glutathione is so important because it is responsible for keeping so many of the keys to UltraWellness optimized.

It is critical for immune function and controlling inflammation. It is the master detoxifier and the body's main antioxidant, protecting our cells and making our energy metabolism run well.

And the good news is that you can do many things to increase this natural and critical molecule in your body. You can eat glutathione- boosting foods. You can exercise. And you can take glutathione- boosting supplements. Let's review more specifics about each.

9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels

These 9 tips will help you improve your glutathione levels, improve your health, optimize your performance and live a long, healthy life.

Eat Foods that Support Glutathione Production

1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).

2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan of dairy. But this is an exception -- with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins ("denaturing" refers to the breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription bioactive non-denatured whey protein that is even listed in the Physician's Desk Reference.

Exercise for Your Way to More Glutathione

3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body's own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week is also helpful.

Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements

One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein -- so you wouldn't get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione. Besides taking a multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione levels with these supplements is the most important thing I do every day for my personal health.

4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose. In fact, I first learned about it in medical school while working in the emergency room. It is even given to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during x-ray studies.5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we often become depleted.

6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body. Take folate (especially in the active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofol ate), B6 (in active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form of methylcobalamin) .

7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione. 8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols) , work together to recycle glutathione.

9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps boost glutathione levels.

So use these nine tips and see how they work to help you optimzie your glutathione levels. When you do, you will take one more step to lifelong vibrant health.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Had you ever heard of this important nutrient before?

Have you tried any of the advice in this article?

What effects have you noticed on your health?

Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

References

(i) De SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915- 29

(ii) Nuttall S, U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645- 646

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Jimmy. You bring up some really good points.

There are things there that I don't completely agree with either, but I felt he did a pretty good job of simplifying the process for the lay person. But, yes, caution, and knowing what the risks are is very important.

The doctor also seems a little contradictory in some places, claiming we don't have the gene necessary to manufacture the glutathione and then proceeding to say that when one is chronically ill, glutathione becomes depleted.

That's always been my concern/hesitation. Yeah, glutathione is important, but if we forget to look at the cause of the deficiency, we could be simply applying a band-aid by supplementing it. And no suprise, because of chronic infections, we're deficient in all kinds of things and there are all kinds of band-aids.

And like you say about the body becoming dependent on the substance rather than continuing to manufacture it, I've also found that so many times when I take a substance which seems to help, after a time it no longer seems effective. I think it's often because the infectious agents adapt and learn to bypass whatever I'm throwing at them.

I'm always in favor of learning how things work and finding things that help, but I really, really don't want people to become so distracted by our deficiencies that they forget why we have them in the first place. Or why we feel sick in general. All of these symptoms are due to chronic infections, and that's what we need people to keep focusing on, how to eradicate them.

penny

From: Penny Houle <pennyhoule (DOT) com>Subject: [infectionAndInflam mation2] Glutiathione: Mother of All Antioxidants"infection & Inflammation group" <InfectionAndInflamm ation2@grou ps.com>Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010, 11:54 AM

http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ dr-mark-hyman/ glutathione- the-mother- of_b_530494. html

Mark Hyman, MD

Posted: April 10, 2010 09:49 AM Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants

It's the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent disease -- yet you've probably never heard of it. It's the secret to prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer's

disease. There are more than 89,000 medical articles about it -- but your doctor doesn't know how address the epidemic deficiency of this critical life-giving molecule ...

What is it? I'm talking about the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system: GLUTATHIONE (pronounced "gloota-thigh- own").

The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver

gets overloaded and damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.

In treating chronically ill patients with Functional Medicine for more than 10 years, I have discovered that glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very ill patients. These include people with chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease, cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney problems, liver disease and more.At first I thought that this was just a coincidental finding, but over the years I have come to realize that our ability to produce and maintain a high level of glutathione is critical to recovery from nearly all chronic illness -- and to preventing disease and maintaining optimal health and performance. The authors of those 76,000 medical articles on

glutathione I mentioned earlier have found the same thing!

So in today's blog I want to explain what glutathione is, why it's important and give you 9 tips that will help you optimize your glutathione levels, improve your detoxification system and protect help yourself from chronic illness.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids -- cysteine, glycine and glutamine.

The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals.

Normally glutathione is recycled in the body -- except when the toxic load becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble ...

In my practice, I test the genes involved in glutathione metabolism. These are the genes involved in producing enzymes that allow the body to create and recycle glutathione in the body. These genes have many names, such as GSTM1, GSTP1 and more.

These genes impaired in some people for a variety of important reasons. We humans evolved in a time before the 80,000 toxic industrial chemicals found in our environment today were introduced into our world, before electromagnetic radiation was everywhere and before we polluted our skies, lakes, rivers, oceans and teeth with mercury and lead.

That is why most people survived with the basic version of the genetic detoxification software encoded in our DNA, which is mediocre at ridding the body of toxins. At the time humans evolved we just didn't need more. Who knew we would be poisoning ourselves and eating a processed, nutrient-depleted diet thousands of years later?

Because most of us didn't require additional detoxification software, almost of half of the population now has a limited capacity to get rid of toxins. These people are missing GSTM1 function -- one of the most important genes needed in the process of creating and recycling glutathione in the body.

Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene. That includes me. Twenty years ago I became mercury poisoned and suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome due to this very problem. My GSTM1 function was inadequate and I didn't produce enough glutathione as a result. Eventually, my body broke down and I became extremely ill ...

This is the same problem I see in so many of my patients. They are missing this critical gene and they descend into disease as a result. Let me explain how this happens ...

The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness

Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can "reduce" or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.

However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can't get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.

But that's not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That's why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.(i)

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.

If you are sick or old or are just not in peak shape, you likely have glutathione deficiency. In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly. (ii)

Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease and aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. I'll say it again ... Glutathione is so important because it is responsible for keeping so many of the keys to UltraWellness optimized.

It is critical for immune function and controlling inflammation. It is the master detoxifier and the body's main antioxidant, protecting our cells and making our energy metabolism run well.

And the good news is that you can do many things to increase this natural and critical molecule in your body. You can eat glutathione- boosting foods. You can exercise. And you can take glutathione- boosting supplements. Let's review more specifics about each.

9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels

These 9 tips will help you improve your glutathione levels, improve your health, optimize your performance and live a long, healthy life.

Eat Foods that Support Glutathione Production

1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).

2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan of dairy. But this is an exception -- with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins ("denaturing" refers to the breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription bioactive non-denatured whey protein that is even listed in the Physician's Desk Reference.

Exercise for Your Way to More Glutathione

3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body's own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week is also helpful.

Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements

One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein -- so you wouldn't get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione. Besides taking a multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione levels with these supplements is the most important thing I do every day for my personal health.

4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose. In fact, I first learned about it in medical school while working in the emergency room. It is even given to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during x-ray studies.5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we often become depleted.

6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body. Take folate (especially in the active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofol ate), B6 (in active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form of methylcobalamin) .

7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione. 8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols) , work together to recycle glutathione.

9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps boost glutathione levels.

So use these nine tips and see how they work to help you optimzie your glutathione levels. When you do, you will take one more step to lifelong vibrant health.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Had you ever heard of this important nutrient before?

Have you tried any of the advice in this article?

What effects have you noticed on your health?

Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

References

(i) De SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915- 29

(ii) Nuttall S, U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645- 646

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

[Guest guest]

Penny,

<<The doctor also seems a little contradictory in some places, claiming we don't have the gene necessary to manufacture the glutathione and then proceeding to say that when one is chronically ill, glutathione becomes depleted.>>

This statement is definitely false. A more accurate description can be found in this piece of literature:

http://www.speciation.net/Public/News/2008/07/10/3711.html

A more accurate statement, is that some people genetically inheret an inability to produce sufficient amounts of glutathione. So, at some point later in life, methyl mercury levels reach toxic levels, such as happened in my case. It also happened to my sis and mom, but they just didn't know it was happening b/c their symptoms were far more subtle then mine. It all makes sense now. I am sure that this bad gene can present itself in other ways to other people, other than as mercury toxicity, as glutathione is responsible for binding up and metabolising many toxins presented to the body.

My take on this MD's blog is that it is purely promotional, even though a good amount of the material is truth. I suspect this b/c I saw no references to primary literature anywhere, supporting his claims. I just become very skepticle when I do not see footnotes, or references, as so much internet info out there is merely somene's opinion.

Anyway, I haven't paid too much attention to this discussion group lately, but I am certainly glad that it caught my eye today.

Jimmy

From: Penny Houle <pennyhoule (DOT) com>Subject: [infectionAndInflam mation2] Glutiathione: Mother of All Antioxidants"infection & Inflammation group" <InfectionAndInflamm ation2@grou ps.com>Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010, 11:54 AM

http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ dr-mark-hyman/ glutathione- the-mother- of_b_530494. html

Mark Hyman, MD

Posted: April 10, 2010 09:49 AM Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants

It's the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent disease -- yet you've probably never heard of it. It's the secret to prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimer's

disease. There are more than 89,000 medical articles about it -- but your doctor doesn't know how address the epidemic deficiency of this critical life-giving molecule ...

What is it? I'm talking about the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of the immune system: GLUTATHIONE (pronounced "gloota-thigh- own").

The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver

gets overloaded and damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.

In treating chronically ill patients with Functional Medicine for more than 10 years, I have discovered that glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very ill patients. These include people with chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease, cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney problems, liver disease and more.At first I thought that this was just a coincidental finding, but over the years I have come to realize that our ability to produce and maintain a high level of glutathione is critical to recovery from nearly all chronic illness -- and to preventing disease and maintaining optimal health and performance. The authors of those 76,000 medical articles on

glutathione I mentioned earlier have found the same thing!

So in today's blog I want to explain what glutathione is, why it's important and give you 9 tips that will help you optimize your glutathione levels, improve your detoxification system and protect help yourself from chronic illness.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or amino acids -- cysteine, glycine and glutamine.

The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals.

Normally glutathione is recycled in the body -- except when the toxic load becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble ...

In my practice, I test the genes involved in glutathione metabolism. These are the genes involved in producing enzymes that allow the body to create and recycle glutathione in the body. These genes have many names, such as GSTM1, GSTP1 and more.

These genes impaired in some people for a variety of important reasons. We humans evolved in a time before the 80,000 toxic industrial chemicals found in our environment today were introduced into our world, before electromagnetic radiation was everywhere and before we polluted our skies, lakes, rivers, oceans and teeth with mercury and lead.

That is why most people survived with the basic version of the genetic detoxification software encoded in our DNA, which is mediocre at ridding the body of toxins. At the time humans evolved we just didn't need more. Who knew we would be poisoning ourselves and eating a processed, nutrient-depleted diet thousands of years later?

Because most of us didn't require additional detoxification software, almost of half of the population now has a limited capacity to get rid of toxins. These people are missing GSTM1 function -- one of the most important genes needed in the process of creating and recycling glutathione in the body.

Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene. That includes me. Twenty years ago I became mercury poisoned and suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome due to this very problem. My GSTM1 function was inadequate and I didn't produce enough glutathione as a result. Eventually, my body broke down and I became extremely ill ...

This is the same problem I see in so many of my patients. They are missing this critical gene and they descend into disease as a result. Let me explain how this happens ...

The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness

Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants. After this happens, the body can "reduce" or regenerate another protective glutathione molecule and we are back in business.

However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can't get rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward spiral of chronic illness.

But that's not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That's why studies show that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.(i)

Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production to muscle development.

If you are sick or old or are just not in peak shape, you likely have glutathione deficiency. In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly, lower still in sick elderly and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly. (ii)

Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease and aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. I'll say it again ... Glutathione is so important because it is responsible for keeping so many of the keys to UltraWellness optimized.

It is critical for immune function and controlling inflammation. It is the master detoxifier and the body's main antioxidant, protecting our cells and making our energy metabolism run well.

And the good news is that you can do many things to increase this natural and critical molecule in your body. You can eat glutathione- boosting foods. You can exercise. And you can take glutathione- boosting supplements. Let's review more specifics about each.

9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels

These 9 tips will help you improve your glutathione levels, improve your health, optimize your performance and live a long, healthy life.

Eat Foods that Support Glutathione Production

1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.).

2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan of dairy. But this is an exception -- with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins ("denaturing" refers to the breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription bioactive non-denatured whey protein that is even listed in the Physician's Desk Reference.

Exercise for Your Way to More Glutathione

3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance your body's own antioxidant defenses. Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3 times a week is also helpful.

Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements

One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the body digests protein -- so you wouldn't get the benefits if you did it this way. However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione. Besides taking a multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione levels with these supplements is the most important thing I do every day for my personal health.

4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose. In fact, I first learned about it in medical school while working in the emergency room. It is even given to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during x-ray studies.5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we often become depleted.

6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical functions in your body. Take folate (especially in the active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofol ate), B6 (in active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form of methylcobalamin) .

7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione. 8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols) , work together to recycle glutathione.

9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps boost glutathione levels.

So use these nine tips and see how they work to help you optimzie your glutathione levels. When you do, you will take one more step to lifelong vibrant health.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Had you ever heard of this important nutrient before?

Have you tried any of the advice in this article?

What effects have you noticed on your health?

Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

References

(i) De SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, M, Green A, Mitra D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, WA, Ela SW, Parks D, Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915- 29

(ii) Nuttall S, U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645- 646

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

[Guest guest]

Just wanted to add that I don't think every illness in the world is caused by

infection (but I also think there are far more than are accounted for). Anyway,

the point is, we can certainly be exposed to toxins or have genetic defects

which damage our body's ability to heal, with or without any infectious

involvement.

Through testing I found that I have a genetic defect which doesn't allow me to

synthesize nitric oxide properly. This certainly doesn't help the CFS symptoms I

have. But if I didn't have the infection, would I be better able to compensate

for this defect? Or am I susceptible to the infection BECAUSE of the defect?

It's a chicken and egg kind of thing, but the bottom line for me is that the

majority of my symptoms are caused by the infection and its toxin output as well

as an over-amped and/or exhausted immune system.

Regardless of how or why I contracted the infection, it's doing a lot of damage

and needs to be dealt with. I really don't care how that happens, but so far, I

haven't found a total fix, only some band aids. And I'm sure everyone can relate

to how frustrating it is to be applying band-aids when you can see you're

bleeding out somewhere else.

>

>

> From: Penny Houle <pennyhoule (DOT) com>

> Subject: [infectionAndInflam mation2] Glutiathione: Mother of All Antioxidants

> " infection & Inflammation group " <InfectionAndInflamm ation2@grou

ps.com>

> Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010, 11:54 AM

>

>

>  

>

>

>

>

>

>

> http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ dr-mark-hyman/ glutathione- the-mother-

of_b_530494. html

>  

> Mark Hyman, MD

>

> Posted: April 10, 2010 09:49 AM

>  

> Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants

>  

> It's the most important molecule you need to stay healthy and prevent disease

-- yet you've probably never heard of it. It's the secret to prevent aging,

cancer, heart disease, dementia and more, and necessary to treat everything from

autism to Alzheimer's disease. There are more than 89,000 medical articles about

it -- but your doctor doesn't know how address the epidemic deficiency of this

critical life-giving molecule ...

>

>

>

> What is it? I'm talking about the mother of all antioxidants, the master

detoxifier and maestro of the immune system: GLUTATHIONE (pronounced

" gloota-thigh- own " ).

> The good news is that your body produces its own glutathione. The bad news is

that poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging,

infections and radiation all deplete your glutathione.

>

> This leaves you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative

stress, free radicals, infections and cancer. And your liver gets overloaded and

damaged, making it unable to do its job of detoxification.

>  

> In treating chronically ill patients with Functional Medicine for more than 10

years, I have discovered that glutathione deficiency is found in nearly all very

ill patients. These include people with chronic fatigue syndrome, heart disease,

cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer's

disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney problems, liver disease

and more.

>

> At first I thought that this was just a coincidental finding, but over the

years I have come to realize that our ability to produce and maintain a high

level of glutathione is critical to recovery from nearly all chronic illness --

and to preventing disease and maintaining optimal health and performance. The

authors of those 76,000 medical articles on glutathione I mentioned earlier have

found the same thing!

>  

> So in today's blog I want to explain what glutathione is, why it's important

and give you 9 tips that will help you optimize your glutathione levels, improve

your detoxification system and protect help yourself from chronic illness.

>  

> What is Glutathione?

> Glutathione is a very simple molecule that is produced naturally all the time

in your body. It is a combination of three simple building blocks of protein or

amino acids -- cysteine, glycine and glutamine.

>  

> The secret of its power is the sulfur (SH) chemical groups it contains. Sulfur

is a sticky, smelly molecule. It acts like fly paper and all the bad things in

the body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and

other heavy metals.

> Normally glutathione is recycled in the body -- except when the toxic load

becomes too great. And that explains why we are in such trouble ...

>  

> In my practice, I test the genes involved in glutathione metabolism. These are

the genes involved in producing enzymes that allow the body to create and

recycle glutathione in the body. These genes have many names, such as GSTM1,

GSTP1 and more.

> These genes impaired in some people for a variety of important reasons. We

humans evolved in a time before the 80,000 toxic industrial chemicals found in

our environment today were introduced into our world, before electromagnetic

radiation was everywhere and before we polluted our skies, lakes, rivers, oceans

and teeth with mercury and lead.

> That is why most people survived with the basic version of the genetic

detoxification software encoded in our DNA, which is mediocre at ridding the

body of toxins. At the time humans evolved we just didn't need more. Who knew we

would be poisoning ourselves and eating a processed, nutrient-depleted diet

thousands of years later?

>  

> Because most of us didn't require additional detoxification software, almost

of half of the population now has a limited capacity to get rid of toxins. These

people are missing GSTM1 function -- one of the most important genes needed in

the process of creating and recycling glutathione in the body.

>  

> Nearly all my very sick patients are missing this function. The one-third of

our population that suffers from chronic disease is missing this essential gene.

That includes me. Twenty years ago I became mercury poisoned and suffered from

chronic fatigue syndrome due to this very problem. My GSTM1 function was

inadequate and I didn't produce enough glutathione as a result. Eventually, my

body broke down and I became extremely ill ...

> This is the same problem I see in so many of my patients. They are missing

this critical gene and they descend into disease as a result. Let me explain how

this happens ...

>  

> The Importance of Glutathione in Protecting Against Chronic Illness

> Glutathione is critical for one simple reason: It recycles antioxidants. You

see, dealing with free radicals is like handing off a hot potato. They get

passed around from vitamin C to vitamin E to lipoic acid and then finally to

glutathione which cools off the free radicals and recycles other antioxidants.

After this happens, the body can " reduce " or regenerate another protective

glutathione molecule and we are back in business.

>  

> However, problems occur when we are overwhelmed with too much oxidative stress

or too many toxins. Then the glutathione becomes depleted and we can no longer

protect ourselves against free radicals, infections, or cancer and we can't get

rid of toxins. This leads to further sickness and soon we are in the downward

spiral of chronic illness.

> But that's not all. Glutathione is also critical in helping your immune system

do its job of fighting infections and preventing cancer. That's why studies show

that it can help in the treatment of AIDS.(i)

>  

> Glutathione is also the most critical and integral part of your detoxification

system. All the toxins stick onto glutathione, which then carries them into the

bile and the stool -- and out of your body.

>  

> And lastly, it also helps us reach peak mental and physical function. Research

has shown that raised glutathione levels decrease muscle damage, reduce recovery

time, increase strength and endurance and shift metabolism from fat production

to muscle development.

> If you are sick or old or are just not in peak shape, you likely have

glutathione deficiency.

> In fact, the top British medical journal, the Lancet, found the highest

glutathione levels in healthy young people, lower levels in healthy elderly,

lower still in sick elderly and the lowest of all in the hospitalized elderly.

(ii)

>  

> Keeping yourself healthy, boosting your performance, preventing disease and

aging well depends on keeping your glutathione levels high. I'll say it again

.... Glutathione is so important because it is responsible for keeping so many of

the keys to UltraWellness optimized.

>  

> It is critical for immune function and controlling inflammation. It is the

master detoxifier and the body's main antioxidant, protecting our cells and

making our energy metabolism run well.

>  

> And the good news is that you can do many things to increase this natural and

critical molecule in your body. You can eat glutathione- boosting foods. You can

exercise. And you can take glutathione- boosting supplements. Let's review more

specifics about each.

>  

> 9 Tips to Optimize your Glutathione Levels

> These 9 tips will help you improve your glutathione levels, improve your

health, optimize your performance and live a long, healthy life.

>  

> Eat Foods that Support Glutathione Production

>  

> 1. Consume sulfur-rich foods. The main ones in the diet are garlic, onions and

the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower,

watercress, etc.).

>  

> 2. Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino

acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. As you know, I am not a big fan

of dairy. But this is an exception -- with a few warnings. The whey protein MUST

be bioactive and made from non-denatured proteins ( " denaturing " refers to the

breakdown of the normal protein structure). Choose non-pasteurized and

non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or

antibiotics. Immunocal is a prescription bioactive non-denatured whey protein

that is even listed in the Physician's Desk Reference.

> Exercise for Your Way to More Glutathione

>  

> 3. Exercise boosts your glutathione levels and thereby helps boost your immune

system, improve detoxification and enhance your body's own antioxidant defenses.

Start slow and build up to 30 minutes a day of vigorous aerobic exercise like

walking or jogging, or play various sports. Strength training for 20 minutes 3

times a week is also helpful.

>  

> Take Glutathione Supporting Supplements

>  

> One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a pill, but the

body digests protein -- so you wouldn't get the benefits if you did it this way.

However, the production and recycling of glutathione in the body requires many

different nutrients and you CAN take these. Here are the main supplements that

need to be taken consistently to boost glutathione. Besides taking a

multivitamin and fish oil, supporting my glutathione levels with these

supplements is the most important thing I do every day for my personal health.

>  

> 4. N-acetyl-cysteine. This has been used for years to help treat asthma and

lung disease and to treat people with life-threatening liver failure from

Tylenol overdose. In fact, I first learned about it in medical school while

working in the emergency room. It is even given to prevent kidney damage from

dyes used during x-ray studies.

>

> 5. Alpha lipoic acid. This is a close second to glutathione in importance in

our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain

health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses

we are under, we often become depleted.

>  

> 6. Methylation nutrients (folate and vitamins B6 and B12). These are perhaps

the most critical to keep the body producing glutathione. Methylation and the

production and recycling of glutathione are the two most important biochemical

functions in your body. Take folate (especially in the active form of 5

methyltetrahydrofol ate), B6 (in active form of P5P) and B12 (in the active form

of methylcobalamin) .

>  

> 7. Selenium. This important mineral helps the body recycle and produce more

glutathione.

>

> 8. A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed

tocopherols) , work together to recycle glutathione.

>  

> 9. Milk thistle (silymarin) has long been used in liver disease and helps

boost glutathione levels.

>  

> So use these nine tips and see how they work to help you optimzie your

glutathione levels. When you do, you will take one more step to lifelong vibrant

health.

>  

> Now I'd like to hear from you...

> Had you ever heard of this important nutrient before?

> Have you tried any of the advice in this article?

> What effects have you noticed on your health?

> Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.

>  

> To your good health,

> Mark Hyman, M.D.

>  

> References

> (i) De SC, Zaretsky MD, Dubs JG, Roederer M, M, Green A, Mitra

D, Watanabe N, Nakamura H, Tjioe I, Deresinski SC, WA, Ela SW, Parks D,

Herzenberg LA, Herzenberg LA. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione in HIV

infection. Eur J Clin Invest. 2000 Oct;30(10):915- 29

> (ii) Nuttall S, U, Sinclair A, Kendall M. 1998. Glutathione: in

sickness and in health. The Lancet 351(9103):645- 646

>  

> Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center

is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap

into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter,

connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on

Facebook.

>