Glutathione. Wait, Say that again?
Glutathione (pronounced: glu·ta·thi·one \ ˌglü-tə-ˈthī-ˌōn \) has been referred to as “the mother of all antioxidants”. You may have read in journals, on website or on food labels the benefits of “antioxidant this…” and “antioxidant that…”, but what does it really mean—and in particular—what does it mean in relation to YOU?
There are plenty of buzzwords surrounding the antioxidant arena. Below is a snapshot to help make some sense of what’s important:
- Antioxidant: A substance that removes/ battles potentially damaging agents (in the body).
- Glutathione: Antioxidant (comprised of amino acids) naturally produced in cells of the body. (Predominantly composed of amino acids: glutamine, glycine, and cysteine.)
- Amino acids: The major players in transporting and storing nutrients for the body (fat, carbohydrates, water, proteins, water, vitamins, etc.)
- Free radicals: Produced when the body takes in oxygen. When these are generated, they can cause stress/damage to nearby cells. While normal and necessary to some degree, (as they can stimulate cell repair), it’s when these are in too much abundance that they will damage cells and impede the repair process.
- Oxidative stress: When the body has an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants.
So now what? The best action one can take is knowing where their body stands in relation to antioxidant/nutrient deficiencies and how to easily remedy them.
One may think that vitamin and nutrient deficiencies are most common in lower income areas, however, with fad diets eliminating food groups, produce sitting longer in transport (losing nutrients), companies offering more foods with less wholesome ingredients, and busy lives resulting in poor diet choices, ample nutrition becomes a struggle to maintain. This, in turn, leaves most of the population nutrient deficient—no matter what class.
In addition, we have to fight harder, especially as our bodies age, endure stress and suffer sleep disturbances, to keep our bodies in overall good health. Without an abundance of Glutathione and its active amino acids, the free radicals can overwhelm the metabolic systems (basic processing) resulting in oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress can lead to cancer among other troubling diseases and deficiencies (diabetes, inflammation, high blood pressure, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and even hair loss and wrinkle formation).
When oxidative stress is reduced, the body is armed to better fight auto immune diseases, viruses, reduce toxic load, reduce overall inflammation, insulin resistance, and reduce cell damage in the liver (among others). Signs of oxidative stress include fatigue, memory loss or brain fog, abundance of grey hair/wrinkles, muscle/joint pain, headaches and susceptibility to infections.
While finding ways to combat/prevent oxidative stress and add Glutathione into the body may seem like more “tedious tasks”, it’s not difficult once you know where to look.
Nutrition Therapy to the rescue, and here’s where to find it.
Glutathione is found naturally in:
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy…)
- Garlic
- Onions
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Peaches
- Tomatoes
- Eggs
- Seaweed
- Lean protein
Oral ingestion is one efficient way to obtain more Glutathione into the system; however, intravenous delivery is the most effective. IV Nutrition Therapy may sound intimidating, but this form of therapy has been around for some time. As of recent, infusions are growing rapidly in popularity and certainly revered as the most immediate solution to correcting vitamin deficiencies.
The simplicity of it comes from the basic process that if the body cannot absorb the vitamins and nutrients it needs, IV nutrition can assist in the immediate delivery of these nutrients. Whereas nutrients that are ingested can at times be taken over by radicals and toxins and/or flushed out of the system. While IV Nutrition Therapy should never be used as a substitute for eating healthy, it is a key step in correcting those all too common deficiencies.
Be sure to only receive IV therapy treatment from licensed and trained professionals who understand proper therapeutic dosages and help determine the proper mix for your particular ailment or condition. This type of treatment is one that can be administered with a complete custom approach. Vitality Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine tailors formulas for patient’s individual deficiencies, which is essential, as patient care is never one size fits all.