About Glutathione

Glutathione is considered the master antioxidant of the human body. Essential for keeping the body healthy and disease free, glutathione's main purpose if the neutralizing and eliminating free radicals. The elimination of the free radicals protects cells from oxidative stress, cell damage and aging diseases that follow. Glutathione is a tripeptide that is comprised of three amino acids. Glutatmate, cysteine and glycine are the three amino acids that are chemically bonded together to make glutathione. This peptide is similar to that of a protein that is comprised of amino acids, but the peptide bond is a shorter molecule. All cells have a certain level of glutathione present in them. However it is the liver that maintains the overall level of glutathione in the human body. This is where the synthesis of glutathione takes place and is then transferred into the red blood cells. A deficiency in the synthesis or export of glutathione has been linked to causing diseases and aging related.

Synthesis of Glutathione

The synthesis of glutathione is a complicated process and one that will not be discussed here in detail. Only the basics of glutathione synthesis will be discussed so that one can understand the basics of that is required to maintain and/or raise their levels of glutathione in their body.
The pre-cursors of glutathione synthesis are the amino acids glutamate, glycine and cysteine, with cysteine being the most important amino acid. There are two enzymes in the cytosol of cells that are involved in the glutathione synthesis process. They are glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione synthetase. The synthesis of glutathione has been determined by research to be controlled by the availability of glutamylcysteine synthetase which is found in the amino acid cysteine.
Cysteine can be found in high protein foods and through products like Triotein. It is important to understand that inadequate levels of cysteine in your body will hinder glutathione synthesis thus lowering the levels of glutathione in your body.

Redox Reactions

The human body is a complicated machine with many processes happening simultaneously. Many of these biochemical reactions involve two things; reduction and oxidation or as they are also known as redox reactions. Every biochemical process has some form of by-product other than the desired result and they are essential for every living organism. How the unwanted by-products are dealt with, is what will determine the over health of the organism.
Glutathione plays a critical role in redox reactions within the human body. Glutathione exists in two forms, oxidized and reduced in a cell. The reduced state of glutathione, or GSH, participates in biochemical reactions transferring electrons to other molecules (i.e. free radicals). This process is called reduction.
It is helpful to understand that all redox reactions include both a reducing and oxidizing step. During glutathione's role in a reduction reaction, GSH is oxidized to glutathione disulfide, or GSSG. The cells also contain the enzyme, glutathione reductase, which the quickly replenishes glutathione (GSH) so that it can then continue to work in additional redox reactions.

Functions of Glutathione

It is through the redox reactions that importance of antioxidants is seen. If left untreated, the oxidized cells would become damaged by the exposure to oxygen. The oxygen molecules produced are highly reactive and can quickly damage healthy cells. It is through the presence of antioxidants that these highly reactive oxygen molecules are stabilized and rendered safe to our cells.
Glutathione called the master antioxidant has this name as it is the primary cellular antioxidant. It neutralizes the reactive oxygen molecules and protects the cells from oxidative stress and damage. Glutathione can also detoxify any other foreign compound that is a by-product of the redox reactions.
While the main role of glutathione is an antioxidant, glutathione play other roles in cellular function. Glutathione participates in the synthesis and repair of DNA, the expression and repair of genes into proteins, nutrient metabolism, cellular communication and many actions of the immune system. The importance of maintaining the proper amounts of glutathione cannot be stresses enough.

Glutathione Supplements

With many glutathione products on the market it can be confusing as to which supplement is best for raising glutathione levels. To start, any orally taken glutathione supplement has been clinically proven to not substantially increase the levels of glutathione in the human body. The enzymes in the human digestive track break down the glutathione and release the amino acids into the body in a form that does not work towards glutathione synthesis.
The best way that has been researched and proven to increase glutathione production is by under natured whey protein. The product that has been proven to be the best at this is the lactose-free whey protein called Triotein. The whey protein allows the three essential amino acids to reach the liver intact, thus being available for glutathione synthesis.
Triotein has been proven to be the best whey protein for increasing the levels of glutathione. All natural and pure, Triotein has zero side-effects and allows the body to naturally produce the amounts of glutathione that is required for sustained health. Triotein delivers what they body requires to protect the trillions of cells that comprise the human body. There are many clinical studies being conducted on the health benefits of glutathione.