Alison Odey

Glutathione is actually a tri-peptide made up the amino acids gamma-glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine and is also known as gamma-glutamylcysteinylglycine or GSH.
It is found in the largest concentrations in the liver.

Glutathione has several important roles in the body.

Firstly, it plays a key role in detoxification, having the ability to bind to heavy metals and other toxins through its sulphur molecules, thereby providing the means for the body to eliminate these toxins.
Having a deficiency of glutathione is a precursor for one’s inability to effectively excrete mercury, aluminium, and pesticides from the body.
See page on Detoxification.

Glutathione is the most powerful antioxidant occurring naturally in the cells of our body.
Healthy cells homeostatically oppose free radicals through the use of antioxidants, of which Glutathione plays a significant role.
The effectiveness of other antioxidants like vitamins C and E depends on the availability of Glutathione.
Without it, your cells would disintegrate from unrestrained oxidation.

Glutathione is also an immune booster. Without it body would have little resistance to bacteria and viruses.
This is also why Glutathione is essential in overcoming and preventing cancer, auto-immune diseases and other immune system related disorders.

According to Wikipedia: ‘It is used in metabolic and biochemical reactions such as DNA synthesis and repair, protein synthesis, prostaglandin synthesis, amino acid transport, and enzyme activation. Thus, every system in the body can be affected by the state of the glutathione system, especially the immune system, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system and the lungs’

Another extremely important function of Glutathione is its ability to protect (or at least minimize) the deadly effects on our cells from all forms of radiation, from x-rays to microwaves.

A deficiency of glutathione is first noticed in the nervous system with a lack of co-ordination, tremors, mental disorders, and body balance, all caused by lesions in the brain.

Studies have shown that children with autism have low levels of Glutathione which researchers attribute to abnormalities in their methionine pathway.
See page on Autism.

Glutathione, as it is a vital brain chemical and important brain anti-oxidant that is often hugely deficient in Parkinson’s disease. There is research that shows that it works best when given intravenously, but I have seen very good results with even with 100mg given orally twice daily.
See page on Parkinson’s disease.