Can you raise glutathione by taking it by mouth?
The evidence is mixed. A single 3 g dose of oral glutathione did not raise plasma glutathione in healthy volunteers, because it was broken down in the gut and liver (Witschi 1992). But daily doses of 250 or 1,000 mg for six months did raise glutathione stores in blood cells, plasma and cheek cells (Richie 2015). None of these studies measured cartilage.
The case against: it gets broken down
In a 1992 study in seven healthy volunteers, a single 3 g dose of glutathione produced no significant rise in plasma glutathione, cysteine or glutamate over four and a half hours. The authors concluded that enzymes in the gut and liver break dietary glutathione down, so a single oral dose is not a practical way to raise circulating levels (Witschi 1992).
The case for: long-term daily use
A 2015 placebo-controlled trial gave 54 healthy adults 250 or 1,000 mg of glutathione a day for six months. Blood glutathione rose at both doses; at the higher dose, levels in red cells, plasma and lymphocytes rose by 30 to 35%, and in cheek cells by 260% (Richie 2015). A one-month pilot of a liposomal form at 500 or 1,000 mg a day also raised blood glutathione and lowered oxidative stress markers (Sinha 2018).
The other route: supply the building blocks
Cells make glutathione themselves, and the supply of cysteine is one of the main limits on how much (Lu 2013). Supplying the building blocks, cysteine (as NAC) and glycine, raised red-cell glutathione in older adults (Sekhar 2011; Kumar 2023). Gluthanol™ takes this building-block route: it is designed to supply the raw materials, not glutathione itself.
Other questions people ask
Do any of these studies show glutathione reaching cartilage?
No. The oral glutathione studies measured blood and cheek cells (Richie 2015; Sinha 2018). Cartilage glutathione has been studied in cells and animals (Del Carlo 2003; Zhu 2020).
Is liposomal glutathione better?
It raised blood glutathione within one to two weeks in a small 12-person pilot that compared two doses (Sinha 2018). It has not been compared head to head with plain glutathione in the studies in our library.
Sources
- Witschi A, Reddy S, Stofer B et al. The systemic availability of oral glutathione. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1992.
- Richie JP Jr, Nichenametla S, Neidig W et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. Eur J Nutr 2015.
- Sinha R, Sinha I, Calcagnotto A et al. Oral supplementation with liposomal glutathione elevates body stores of glutathione and markers of immune function. Eur J Clin Nutr 2018.
- Lu SC. Glutathione synthesis. Biochim Biophys Acta 2013.
- 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. Am J Clin Nutr 2011.
- Kumar P, Liu C, Suliburk J et al. Supplementing Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in Older Adults Improves Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Inflammation, Physical Function, and Aging Hallmarks: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023.
- Carlo MD Jr, Loeser RF. Increased oxidative stress with aging reduces chondrocyte survival: correlation with intracellular glutathione levels. Arthritis Rheum 2003.
- Zhu S, Makosa D, Miller B et al. Glutathione as a mediator of cartilage oxidative stress resistance and resilience during aging and osteoarthritis. Connect Tissue Res 2020.
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