Glutathione | Everything you Need To Know When Supplementing
Did you know that Glutathione is a fantastic hangover cure? I didn’t either. Most other people use it to support their bodies as they age, or from wear and tear from impact sports.
I heard about Glutathione first on the Joe Rogan podcast – he referenced that it was part of his supplement game and that it should be taken in Liposomal form. I did some research and thought that I would give it a try, and report my findings; alongside sharing a lot of the research with you here.
Let’s dig in.
What is Glutathione & What Are the Benefits?
The substance called ‘Glutathione’ is essentially a string of amino acids: glycine, cysteine and glutamic acid. These chemicals are largely produced within the liver and are involved in a long list of body functions. Mainly – they are used as powerful anti-oxidants, are part of the tissue repair and building network, which helps to synthesise proteins and supports the immune system. These acids tend to decline naturally when we age or due to poor nutrition.
It is said that Glutathione is used for people who are ageing, to clean out the liver (often use by those with alcohol disorders), helps with heart health, joint health and general wellbeing.
Most commonly the amino acids are applied topically as an inhalant but there are some oral/ capsule supplements available online. Glutathione isn’t particularly easy for the body to absorb so oral application is often considered to be ‘ineffective’ – that is why it is advised to use Liposomal Glutathione supplements as they are designed specifically to help the absorption of ‘hard-to-absorb’ compounds.
How to take Glutathione Effectively?
From all of my research, talking to experts and my medical minded friends, the consensus is that Glutathione is fairly ineffective when taken orally. This is down to the bioavailability of the solutions or the poor quality of the products used. It is why the compound is often applied topically instead.
Some clever people have put their heads together to combat the issue of ‘hard-to-absorb’ compounds: they created Liposomal technology. This is a medical technology advancement and is used to increase the absorption of medicine, but it has also been used to increase the absorption of compounds such as this.
The best way to take Glutathione is when it has been encapsulated in a phospholipid and comes in the form of a Liposomal supplement. Otherwise, you may be wasting your hard-earned cash.
Liposomal Glutathione benefits from the super increased bioavailability of the compound which means that it is in the bloodstream at higher levels, for much longer: you are more likely to benefit from the compound. Many say that they have noticed their joints to be less sore, their performance in the gym is increased and, for some, they have found their ideal hangover cure.
Glutathione Benefits for Skin
As I mentioned above, Glutathione is most often applied topically and can be found in a whole shed load of cosmetic products. The benefits of Glutathione for skin are said to be that it has anti-ageing properties, an improvement for complexion and reduction in redness. It also is said to improve the health of your skin, improve healing and reduce the appearance of blemishes.
Interestingly, some resources say that the best way to get the benefits of Glutathione for your skin is to inject it, rather than apply it topically. This is because the amino acids are active right away – seems a little extreme to me, but that’s just me.