Glutathione is considered to be the most powerful, most versatile, and most important of the body's self-generated antioxidants. Oral administration of glutathione is ineffective as the digestive system breaks glutathione down into its amino acid building blocks, limiting the amount of Glutathione that enters the bloodstream to less than 10%.

The following two delivery systems overcome this challenge with absorption rates compared to I.V. of over 90%! Reduced Glutathione is already in your body's "usable reduced form". Both our Zetpil-RX Reduced Glutathione Suppository and Quicksilver Scientific Reduced Glutathione Nanosphere Spray contain reduced Glutathione.

Among Glutathione's many important properties are:

• Detoxification/Chelation
• Heavy metal toxicity including mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium:
• Common toxins that glutathione may help protect against are car exhaust, cigarette smoke, aspirin and alcohol (Marz, p. 78, 1997)
• Pesticide and industrial chemical exposure
• Steroids
• Bacterial toxins (Clostridia difficile)
• Pharmaceuticals (very long list that need to be detoxified by the liver) (Marz, p. 79, 1997)    
• Immune enhancement: 1-3 g per day. This is especially effective against clostridium in the GI. It helps prevent translocation.
• Psoriasis
• Diabetes mellitus: Especially in ketosis as DM patients will generally excrete increased amounts of sulfur containing amino acids.
• Liver disease including cirrhosis and fatty liver disease caused by alcohol: Clinical Research and Case studies show significant   improvement in as little as 2 weeks.
• Ulcers intestinal or stomach: In patients with stomach ulcers low levels of GSH have been found.
• Aspirin or phenacetin overdose (useful for rheumatoid arthritis patients or chronic pain sufferers on 8 or more aspirin/day)
• Hematological conditions: myelofibrosis, acute leukemia, chronic myelocytic leukemia, lymphoma, polycythemia vera
• Alcoholism
• Before radiation therapy
• Cataracts
• Detached Retinas
• Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's Disease, ALS (Lou Gherig's disease), Multiple Sclerosis, other neurologic conditions including Autism/Pervasive Developmental Delay and Chronic Kidney Failure

Therapeutically, Glutathione is:

• Found in almost all living cells. The liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, and the lens and cornea, have the highest concentrations in the body
• A  POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANT and thus neutralizes free radicals and prevents their formation
• An Important role in immune function via white blood cell production and is one of the most potent anti-viral agents known
• One of the strongest anti-cancer agents manufactured by the body.
• Used by the liver to detoxify toxins including formaldehyde, acetaminophen, benzpyrene and many other compounds
• An antioxidant necessary for the protection of proteins; is involved in nucleic acid synthesis and plays a role in DNA repair
• Powerful enough to maintain the cellular redox potential
• Glutathione levels decrease with age. It is involved in cellular differentiation and slows the aging process
• Able to protect the integrity of red blood cells
• Involved in maintaining normal brain function.
  

Glutathione is one of the most potent antioxidants that exists in nature

Some clinical uses of glutathione include: detoxification, protection of healthy cells during cancer chemotherapy treatment, lung diseases (asthma, COPD and chronic bronchitis), HIV, liver diseases (Hepatitis B and C, and cirrhosis of liver), and now cataracts.

Deficiencies of glutathione are seen in conditions of oxidative stress, including cataracts, Parkinson's disease, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's disease. Chronic glutathione deficiencies are associated with certain immune disorders, HIV, development of cataracts, and an increased incidence of certain types of cancers. Glutathione deficiencies are also seen in toxicity issues such as an overdose of medications, decreased liver function or in cases where overall nutrients are lacking in the diet as in some eating disorders and malnutrition. Quicksilver's Reduced Glutathione Spray works to compensate this natural deficiency which correlates with age.

Zetpil's Reduced Glutathione suppositories are another recommended favorite and perhaps the best value.

Click the links below for published NIH abstracts on Glutathione:

• Glutathione: a vital lens antioxidant
• Protection of retinal pigment epithelium from oxidative injury by glutathione and precursors
• Glutathione in human plasma: decline in association with aging, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetes
• Glutathione peroxidase-1 deficiency leads to increased nuclear light scattering, membrane damage, and cataract formation in gene-knockout mice
• Specialized protective role of mucosal glutathione in pigmented rabbit conjunctiva

If I have cataracts or other eye ailments, why do I care about Glutathione?

The reducing compound glutathione (GSH) exists in an unusually high concentration in the eye lens where it functions as an essential antioxidant vital for maintenance of the tissue's transparency - and a protection against cataracts. In conjunction with an active glutathione redox cycle located in the lens epithelium and superficial cortex, GSH detoxifies potentially damaging oxidants such as H2O2 and dehydroascorbic acid.

Recent studies have indicated an important hydroxyl radical-scavenging function for GSH in lens epithelial cells, independent of the cells' ability to detoxify H2O2. Depletion of GSH or inhibition of the redox cycle allows low levels of oxidant to damage lens epithelial targets such as Na/K-ATPase, certain cytoskeletal proteins and proteins associated with normal membrane permeability. The level of GSH in the nucleus of the lens is relatively low, particularly in the aging lens, and exactly how the compound travels from the epithelium to the central region of the organ is not known.

Recently, a cortical/nuclear barrier to GSH migration in older human lenses was demonstrated by Sweeney et al. The relatively low ratio of GSH to protein -SH in the nucleus of the lens, combined with low activity of the glutathione redox cycle in this region, makes the nucleus especially vulnerable to oxidative stress, as has been demonstrated with use of in vivo experimental animal models such as hyperbaric oxygen, UVA light and the glutathione peroxidase knockout mouse. Effects observed in these models, which are currently being utilized to investigate the mechanism of formation of human senile nuclear cataract, include an increase in lens nuclear disulfide, damage to nuclear membranes and an increase in nuclear light scattering. A need exists for development of therapeutic agents to slow age-related loss of antioxidant activity in the nucleus of the human lens to delay the onset of cataracts.

In another recent study conducted in Germany, glutathione levels were measured in normal human lenses (obtained from an eye bank) and from cataract lenses obtained from routine cataract surgery. In normal lenses, glutathione levels decreased gradually with advancing age. Cataract lenses contained only about one-tenth as much glutathione as normal lenses. As glutathione levels fell, oxidation of lens proteins increased. There is evidence that oxidation of lens proteins is a significant factor in the development of cataracts. Glutathione is one of the major antioxidants (which provide protection against oxidation) found in our lens tissue. The development of cataracts is often preceded by a decline in lens glutathione levels. Strategies designed to prevent glutathione depletion may therefore help prevent cataracts. Supplementing with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), a natural precursor to glutathione, has been shown to increase glutathione levels in various tissues. Taking glutathione itself may not be as effective as taking NAC, since digestive enzymes largely eat up the former, with the exception of a patented form of glutathione called RecancostatÃ. Vitamin C is known to spare glutathione, and other antioxidants such as vitamin E, zinc, and selenium may also have a significant effect at actually raising glutathione levels in the liver and other tissues.

Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Cataracts and Glutathione

Glutathione plays a significant role in the protection of the eyes from oxidative stress, which leads to unclear eyesight and eventually blindness. There have been previous studies exemplifying the fact that when faced with a lack of glutathione in the eyes, there is a greater chance of Open-Angle Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration and Cataracts. As we get older, we are unable to see things as clearly and then we need reading glasses. This is called presbyopia. Your eyes create glutathione to protect against the oxidation that the sunlight produces according to Dr. Daria Davidson, a board certified medical doctor focusing on holistic medicine with 30 years of practice.

Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the production of the reactive oxygen species and the eyes' biological systems being able to readily detoxify the reactive intermediate and easily repair the resulting damage, from Wikipedia. If you have free radicals from oxidative stress, you need an antioxidant to reduce the free radical an oxidation reduction reaction. Glutathione donates and extra electron to accomplish this. This reducing environment is preserved by enzymes and components like glutathione that maintain the constant status of metabolic energy which is ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) in the cell.

Without ATP the cell becomes sluggish. In some respects ATP is like oil or lubrication is to an engine. Disturbances of the oxidative state cause toxic effects to the DNA.

Oxidative stress contributes to many different health issues, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attack, and so on according to Wikipedia.

According to Dr. Daria Davidson, glutathione is the guardian of the cell, it neutralizes free radicals better than anything, and is the best thing you can have to support the function and structure of your body in every cell. Along with keeping glutathione levels high it's beneficial to keep superoxide dismutases and coenzyme q10 levels high too.

According to the statistics in this country age macular degeneration is second only to diabetes in causing blindness. Worldwide the number one cause of blindness is cataracts. In Australia, the number one cause is open-angle glaucoma. But what's important is that all three of these conditions are related with low levels of glutathione in the eye.

Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics in April of 2000 the reducing compound exists in an unusually high concentration in the lens where it functions as a accentual antioxidant and vital for maintenance of the tissues transparency.
Dr. Davidson goes on to say that Cataracts are caused by the lens becoming cloudy. This article is related to the lens which is specifically related to cataracts. Glaucoma is not a lens issue. Macular degeneration is not a lens issue. They are issues of the eye but not related to the lens.

The article goes on to say, In conjunction with glutathione the oxidation reduction cycle located in the lens epithelium detoxifies this potentially dangerous oxidant. The depletion of glutathione or the inhibition of the cycle to occur causes oxidative damage resulting in a clouding of the lens, which is what cataracts are.

Journal of Ocular Service in 2007 Deficiency in glutathione has been linked to ocular disease and viral infection, endogenous glutathione (glutathione your body makes. exodogenous is glutathione they give to you) plays a role in safeguarding active transfer processes across the surface of the mucosa of the eye and also within the tear film. Glutathione is the most abundant endogenous antioxidant molecule in tear fluid.

Dr. Davidson goes on to say, So you have tear ducts in your eyes that lubricate the surface of your eye. The tear ducts then are actually letting some glutathione come outside of the cell that is in the fluid to bath the area. Glutathione outside of the cell can put out some free radical damage but not near as well as when it in inside the cell. It is called the guardian of the cell although there will be some glutathione outside the cell, the glutathione you make yourself have a increased effect for you. There are glutathione eye drops available to you, but most of them are used in Japan to help keep the eyes healthy. Of course if you make more glutathione for yourself, you're going to be much healthier.

Mutation research in 2006 The Role of Oxidative Stress in Glaucoma Increasing evidence indicates that reactive oxygen species (free radicals play a key role in pathogenesis (disease) of primary Open-Angle Glaucoma the main cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.

This article suggests that Glaucoma is the main cause of blindness world-wide whereas other sources claim that cataracts are. In either case, glutathione is a major player.

Progress in Retinal and Eye Research in 2003, The high concentration of glutathione in the lens in believed to protect structural proteins and enzymes for proper biological functioning. The lens of both biosynthetic and regenerating systems for glutathione to maintain its large pool size. However aging lens are lens under oxidative stress show an extensively diminished size of glutathione pool.

In summary, glutathione and the health of your eye, glutathione is needed for every cell of your body to function optimally. We know that certain cells under particular stress, liver cells have a very high amount of glutathione because they are the wash machine of the body. Lungs are also high in glutathione to handle the toxins that we breathe. Skin is high in glutathione to deal with the free radical damage caused by sunlight and the eyes are likewise high in glutathione because they too are exposed to sunlight. If you keep your eyes healthy, the likely hood of getting a diagnosis goes down.