If you are a patient at IHM or you have looked into your antioxidant status, you know about the importance of glutathione!
Glutathione is the body’s major antioxidant. Our bodies make glutathione by putting together three amino acids: glutamate, glycine and cysteine.
If you’ve heard about illness stemming from oxidative stress, this means that free radicals, or unpaired electrons, are floating around the body triggering inflammation. Glutathione is the hero in that story, mopping up those damaging particles and keeping our cells safe from oxidative harm.
Unfortunately, glutathione is in high demand these days! With poor diet or micronutrient deficiencies, chronic illness, infections and constant stress, there is a lot for glutathione to clean up. With our increased exposure to environmental toxins (pesticides in foods, chemicals in the products we use, heavy metals in drinking water), we’ve taxed our body’s defenses to the max!
The good news?! There is a lot you can do to maximize your body’s ability to keep oxidative damage down and glutathione up! Various nutrients may enhance our own ability to produce glutathione in the liver, including:
- Vitamin B6
- Magnesium
- Selenium
- Curcuminoids (from turmeric)
- Silymarin (from milk thistle)
- Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)
- N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC)
- Cruciferous vegetables
Orally, glutathione does not absorb well so best to give your health a boost with this list (check with your doctor!), or come into IHM for IV nutrients, including glutathione!
At IHM, we are about finding out why your body might be struggling to keep up with the challenges in your environment and supporting you with integrative approaches for healing.