The Master Antioxidant

We are in an exciting stage of nutritional science as new evidence and research begins to really connect the dots between our diet and our bodies ability to fight disease.

One antioxidant that is being talked about frequently is Glutathione, the body's own master antioxidant. Although it was discovered in 1889, it was only about 30 years ago that scientists began to understand its functions and discover how to raise its levels.

There are two key points to understand when it comes to Glutathione. The first is that is can be depleted in the body and the second is that there are foods that can stimulate it's production in the body.

WHAT TO AVOID IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN GOOD GLUTHATHION LEVELS

What depletes glutathione (GSH) levels in our bodies can be put into two categories - internal and external factors.

Internal factors include the increasing need for glutathione as an important part of various processes in our bodies, such as, food for our immune system, recycling of vitamin C, vitamin E and alpha lipoic acid, repairing our DNA, and protecting our cells from oxidative stress to mention a few.

Many external factors is what depletes glutathione the most.

Many toxic and harmful substances that we are exposed to on a daily basis require considerable amounts of glutathione for detoxification. Here is a list of what pollutants to avoid:

• Paint removers and solvents
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Artificial sweetener aspartame
• Synthetic food dyes
• Alcohol
• Tobacco smoke

Other factors that deplete Glutathione include: ·

• Chronic stress
• Poor diet

HOW TO INCREASE GLUTATHIONE LEVELS IN THE BODY

Glutathione foods can be divided into two categories: foods that contain glutathione molecule and foods that stimulate glutathione production and/or upregulate the activity of glutathione enzymes.

The amount of dietary glutathione is very small compared to the amount of glutathione found in live tissues. Daily glutathione intake from glutathione foods averages 100-150 mg. A healthy adult has about 10g of glutathione circulating in the body tissues. Thus, dietary intake comprises only 1-1.5% of circulating GSH.

Although oral or dietary glutathione has low impact on glutathione levels, glutathione foods are still an integral part of a glutathione boosting protocol.

The main reason is that some dietary glutathione does get absorbed, and first of all into the cells of the intestines, particularly the intestines’ lumen – the inside space of the intestines’ tubular structure.

This luminal glutathione participates directly in detoxification in the small intestine boosting the health of the digestive system.

Since your immune health depends greatly on how effectively you absorb all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals from food, we can confidently state that immune health depends on the health of the
intestines and the whole GI tract.

FOODS THAT CONTAIN GLUTATHIONE:

• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Spinach
• Okra
• Broccoli
• Cantaloupe

Courgette

FOODS THAT STIMULATE GLUTATHIONE PRODUCTION IN THE BODY:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Garlic
• Parsley

Turmeric

Source: http://www.immunehealthscience.com/what-depletes-g...