Glutathione IV

Full ingredient list

Exact amounts delivered in each size. Formulas are compounded per patient and can be adjusted by your provider.

Supporting studies

• 1

  Glutathione is the body's most abundant intracellular antioxidant and its central redox regulator.

  This widely cited review in Molecular Aspects of Medicine describes glutathione as the most abundant low-molecular-weight thiol compound synthesized in human cells. The authors detail its role in protecting cells from oxidative damage and from the toxicity of reactive xenobiotic electrophiles, and in maintaining the cell's overall redox balance. The paper covers where oxidants and electrophiles come from, how glutathione eliminates them (by reduction and by conjugation), and how glutathione synthesis is regulated - including therapeutic strategies for raising cellular glutathione content.

  Mechanistic review Forman HJ, Zhang H, Rinna A Glutathione: overview of its protective roles, measurement, and biosynthesis. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 2009. PMID 18796312 ↗

• 2

  Glutathione is the molecule liver enzymes attach to toxins during Phase II detoxification so they can be excreted.

  This Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology review covers the three mammalian glutathione transferase (GST) families - cytosolic, mitochondrial, and microsomal. These Phase II enzymes conjugate glutathione onto electrophilic xenobiotics such as carcinogens and environmental pollutants, and also onto endogenous compounds including aldehydes, quinones, and lipid hydroperoxides generated during oxidative stress. The review also describes glutathione transferases' roles in leukotriene, prostaglandin, and steroid hormone biosynthesis, and in modulating gene expression through nuclear receptor pathways. Glutathione is the required cofactor for this entire conjugation system.

  Mechanistic review Hayes JD, Flanagan JU, Jowsey IR Glutathione transferases. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology. 2005. PMID 15822171 ↗

• 3

  Glutathione levels fall sharply with age, and restoring glutathione synthesis returns older adults' oxidative stress markers to youthful levels within two weeks.

  Using stable-isotope infusion techniques, researchers compared eight older and eight younger adults. Older subjects had markedly lower red blood cell glutathione concentrations, a substantially reduced rate of glutathione synthesis, and elevated markers of oxidative stress and oxidant damage. After just two weeks of supplementation with the glutathione precursors cysteine and glycine, older subjects' glutathione synthesis rates and concentrations were fully restored and their oxidative stress markers fell to levels comparable with the young control group. Route: dietary/oral precursor supplementation; glutathione status measured directly in blood.

  Controlled clinical study with stable-isotope kinetics Sekhar RV, Patel SG, Guthikonda AP, et al. Deficient synthesis of glutathione underlies oxidative stress in aging and can be corrected by dietary cysteine and glycine supplementation. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2011. PMID 21795440 ↗

• 4

  Intravenous glutathione at 600 mg twice daily produced a 42% improvement in disability in early Parkinson's disease, with benefit lasting months after treatment stopped.

  Nine patients with early, previously untreated Parkinson's disease received 600 mg of reduced glutathione intravenously twice daily for 30 days. All patients improved significantly, with an average 42% decline in disability scores. The therapeutic benefit persisted for two to four months after glutathione was discontinued. The authors concluded that in untreated Parkinson's patients, glutathione has symptomatic efficacy and possibly retards disease progression - work motivated by the established finding that glutathione is depleted in the substantia nigra of Parkinson's patients in proportion to disease severity. Route: intravenous, 600 mg per dose.

  Open-label clinical trial Sechi G, Deledda MG, Bua G, et al. Reduced intravenous glutathione in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry. 1996. PMID 8938817 ↗

• 5

  In a randomized double-blind trial, intravenous glutathione was well tolerated at 1,400 mg three times a week, with no participant stopping treatment because of side effects.

  Twenty-one Parkinson's disease patients were randomized to receive 1,400 mg of intravenous glutathione or placebo three times weekly for four weeks. Glutathione was well tolerated, there were no withdrawals because of adverse events in either group, and reported adverse events were similar between glutathione and placebo. During the treatment period, motor scores on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale improved by an average of 2.8 units more in the glutathione group than in placebo. The investigators concluded the data suggest the possibility of a mild symptomatic effect warranting a larger study. Route: intravenous.

  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Hauser RA, Lyons KE, McClain T, Carter S, Perlmutter D Randomized, double-blind, pilot evaluation of intravenous glutathione in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders. 2009. PMID 19230029 ↗

• 6

  Five days of intravenous glutathione increased pain-free walking distance by roughly 37% and measurably improved both large- and small-vessel blood flow in patients with peripheral artery disease.

  Forty patients with Fontaine stage II peripheral obstructive arterial disease at Verona University were randomized to intravenous glutathione twice daily or saline twice daily for five days. Pain-free walking distance rose to 196 +/- 15 meters with glutathione versus 143 +/- 11 meters with placebo (P<.04). Macrocirculatory flow after treadmill testing improved to 9.3 +/- 2 versus 2.8 +/- 0.5 mL per 100 mL/min (P<.002), and post-ischemic hyperemia measured by laser Doppler rose to 14.4 +/- 3.2 versus 6.18 +/- 1.5 perfusion units (P<.005). The authors concluded glutathione prolongs pain-free walking distance and improves both macrocirculatory and microcirculatory function. Route: intravenous infusion.

  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Arosio E, De Marchi S, Zannoni M, Prior M, Lechi A Effect of glutathione infusion on leg arterial circulation, cutaneous microcirculation, and pain-free walking distance in patients with peripheral obstructive arterial disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2002. PMID 12173710 ↗

• 7

  Infused glutathione improved the way human coronary arteries relax and dilate, with the largest benefit in people who had cardiovascular risk factors.

  In 26 subjects without significant coronary narrowing, researchers measured artery diameter and blood flow responses to acetylcholine before and during direct infusion of reduced glutathione at 50 mg/min, using coronary angiography and a flow wire. Glutathione suppressed the abnormal constrictor response to acetylcholine, enhanced the blood flow increase, and potentiated the vasodilator effect of nitroglycerin. The effects were most pronounced in subjects with coronary risk factors. The authors concluded that glutathione improves endothelial vasomotor function in the human coronary circulation. Route: direct intra-arterial (intracoronary) infusion.

  Controlled human interventional study Kugiyama K, Ohgushi M, Motoyama T, et al. Intracoronary infusion of reduced glutathione improves endothelial vasomotor response to acetylcholine in human coronary circulation. Circulation. 1998. PMID 9639372 ↗

• 8

  Intravenous glutathione given before chemotherapy protected patients' nerves, cutting significant neuropathy from 11 cases to 2.

  Fifty-two patients with advanced colorectal cancer on a bimonthly oxaliplatin regimen were randomized to receive 1,500 mg/m2 of glutathione as a 15-minute intravenous infusion before oxaliplatin, or saline placebo. Neurologic and electrophysiologic assessments were done at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 cycles. After eight cycles, grade 2-4 neurotoxicity occurred in only 2 glutathione patients versus 11 placebo patients (P=.003); after 12 cycles, 3 versus 8 (P=.004). The authors concluded glutathione is a promising agent for preventing oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy and does not reduce the anticancer activity of the chemotherapy. Route: intravenous.

  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Cascinu S, Catalano V, Cordella L, et al. Neuroprotective effect of reduced glutathione on oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2002. PMID 12177109 ↗

• 9

  Adding glutathione to cisplatin therapy improved women's quality of life across mood, nausea, nerve symptoms and daily functioning, and let far more patients complete full-dose treatment.

  One hundred fifty-one women with stage I-IV ovarian cancer were randomized in a double-blind trial to cisplatin with or without glutathione. Significantly more glutathione-treated patients completed all six full-dose cycles (58% versus 39%, P=.04), and kidney function was better preserved (74% versus 62% retained, P=.006). On quality-of-life assessment, glutathione-treated women reported substantial improvements in depression, nausea and vomiting, peripheral neuropathy, hair loss, and breathlessness, along with an enhanced ability to carry out normal daily activities. Route: intravenous, given alongside chemotherapy.

  Randomized, double-blind trial Smyth JF, Bowman A, Perren T, et al. Glutathione reduces the toxicity and improves quality of life of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer treated with cisplatin: results of a double-blind, randomised trial. Annals of Oncology. 1997. PMID 9261526 ↗

• 10

  Injected glutathione at 600 mg significantly improved sperm motility and morphology in a placebo-controlled crossover trial.

  Twenty infertile men with dyspermia associated with varicocele or genital tract inflammation received either 600 mg of glutathione or matched placebo by injection every other day for two months, then crossed over to the alternative treatment for two further months. Standard semen analysis and computer-assisted motility analysis showed a statistically significant positive effect of glutathione therapy on sperm motility - particularly the percentage of forward progressive motility - and on sperm morphology. The authors concluded glutathione could serve as a therapeutic approach in these andrological conditions. Route: parenteral (intramuscular injection), 600 mg per dose.

  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial Lenzi A, Culasso F, Gandini L, Lombardo F, Dondero F Placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial of glutathione therapy in male infertility. Human Reproduction. 1993. PMID 8300824 ↗

• 11

  In a randomized trial in healthy women, glutathione supplementation lowered melanin index and UV spots, significantly reduced wrinkles, and increased skin elasticity.

  Healthy female subjects were randomized in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-arm design to reduced glutathione (GSH, 250 mg/day), oxidized glutathione (GSSG, 250 mg/day), or placebo for 12 weeks. Melanin index and ultraviolet spots at all measured sites - face and arm - trended lower with both GSH and GSSG than with placebo. Subjects receiving GSH showed a significant reduction in wrinkles at several evaluated sites, and both glutathione forms showed a trend toward increased skin elasticity. There were no serious adverse effects throughout the study. Route: oral.

  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Weschawalit S, Thongthip S, Phutrakool P, Asawanonda P Glutathione and its antiaging and antimelanogenic effects. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2017. PMID 28490897 ↗

• 12

  Glutathione brightens skin through several defined mechanisms, including switching pigment production from dark eumelanin toward lighter pheomelanin.

  This dermatology review synthesizes the in vitro and in vivo evidence on how glutathione lightens skin. The described mechanisms are: direct inactivation of the enzyme tyrosinase by binding to its copper-containing active site; mediating the switch from eumelanin (dark pigment) to phaeomelanin (lighter pigment) production; quenching the free radicals and peroxides that would otherwise activate tyrosinase and drive melanin formation; and modulating the depigmenting activity of melanocyte-targeting agents. The authors position these findings as the foundation for glutathione's therapeutic potential in pigmentation disorders.

  Mechanistic review Villarama CD, Maibach HI Glutathione as a depigmenting agent: an overview. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2005. PMID 18492181 ↗

References

• 1Forman HJ, Zhang H, Rinna A. Glutathione: overview of its protective roles, measurement, and biosynthesis. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 2009. PMID 18796312 ↗
• 2Hayes JD, Flanagan JU, Jowsey IR. Glutathione transferases. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology. 2005. PMID 15822171 ↗
• 3Sekhar RV, Patel SG, Guthikonda AP, et al. Deficient synthesis of glutathione underlies oxidative stress in aging and can be corrected by dietary cysteine and glycine supplementation. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2011. PMID 21795440 ↗
• 4Sechi G, Deledda MG, Bua G, et al. Reduced intravenous glutathione in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry. 1996. PMID 8938817 ↗
• 5Hauser RA, Lyons KE, McClain T, Carter S, Perlmutter D. Randomized, double-blind, pilot evaluation of intravenous glutathione in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders. 2009. PMID 19230029 ↗
• 6Arosio E, De Marchi S, Zannoni M, Prior M, Lechi A. Effect of glutathione infusion on leg arterial circulation, cutaneous microcirculation, and pain-free walking distance in patients with peripheral obstructive arterial disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2002. PMID 12173710 ↗
• 7Kugiyama K, Ohgushi M, Motoyama T, et al. Intracoronary infusion of reduced glutathione improves endothelial vasomotor response to acetylcholine in human coronary circulation. Circulation. 1998. PMID 9639372 ↗
• 8Cascinu S, Catalano V, Cordella L, et al. Neuroprotective effect of reduced glutathione on oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2002. PMID 12177109 ↗
• 9Smyth JF, Bowman A, Perren T, et al. Glutathione reduces the toxicity and improves quality of life of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer treated with cisplatin: results of a double-blind, randomised trial. Annals of Oncology. 1997. PMID 9261526 ↗
• 10Lenzi A, Culasso F, Gandini L, Lombardo F, Dondero F. Placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial of glutathione therapy in male infertility. Human Reproduction. 1993. PMID 8300824 ↗
• 11Weschawalit S, Thongthip S, Phutrakool P, Asawanonda P. Glutathione and its antiaging and antimelanogenic effects. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2017. PMID 28490897 ↗
• 12Villarama CD, Maibach HI. Glutathione as a depigmenting agent: an overview. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2005. PMID 18492181 ↗