Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. But how does glutathione do it so efficiently in cells? First of all, glutathione (GSH) contains a hydrogen ion that is easily removed.  It contributes this ion to a free radical such as HO+ Now we have H2O and GS+ When two GS+ molecules combine we end up with GSSH and 2 water molecules. Both are neutral and the cell is happy .

Other antioxidants such as resveratol, Vit C, E, etc. become free radicals themselves after giving up their hydrogen ion and must therefore be neutralized. NOT efficient! Glutathione is found in every cell including plants as well as animals. That’s because it is thousands of times more effective than other antioxidants.

The highest concentrations of this antioxidant are found in the liver, spleen, and skin. The liver is the great detoxifyer in the body and GSH plays an important roll in removing toxins as well as antioxidants. GSH is vital to our immune system because it activates and protects the white blood cells that are our first line of defense against disease. Finally, glutathione is instrumental in regenerating other antioxidants and is an important ingredient in antioxidant enzymes.

Glutathione supplements are all the rage now, but many people are wondering what exactly is glutatione? This molecule which resides in every cell of your body has been know and studied for many years. However, not until recently has the full spectrum of its activity been understood and appreciated. Glutathione is a tripeptide which is a protein molecule consisting of three amino acids. The three important amino acids in glutathione are glutamate, l-cysteine, and glycine. While glutamate and glycine are available in abundance, l-cysteine is limited by dietary intake. This makes l-cysteine the limiting factor in the production of glutathione.

The reason glutathione makes such a good antioxidant is that it contains a sulfhydryl group. This makes it easy to give up a hydrogen ion to neutralize an oxidant.

Now you know what glutathione is. In future posts we will discuss the several functions and activities of glutathione and why it is so important in promoting anti aging.