What is Gluthanol™?
Gluthanol™ is a proprietary blend of N-acetylcysteine, L-glycine, L-glutamine and alpha-lipoic acid, built to supply the raw materials cartilage cells make glutathione from. Three parts are glutathione's building blocks: cysteine (from NAC), glycine, and glutamate (from glutamine). The fourth, alpha-lipoic acid, helps cells take up cysteine (Han 1997). It is the Nourish technology in a 3-in-1 joint system.
A different target
Most joint nutrition is aimed at the cartilage matrix, the collagen and cushioning gel. Gluthanol™ is aimed at the cell that maintains it. Chondrocytes make up about 2% of cartilage and live without a blood supply (Sophia Fox 2009), and their own glutathione tracks how well they survive stress (Del Carlo 2003).
Why these four
Cysteine supply is the main limit on glutathione synthesis (Lu 2013), so NAC supplies it. Glycine completes the molecule and also drives collagen production in cartilage cells (de Paz-Lugo 2018). Glutamine is the cells' source of glutamate and supports cartilage cell survival (Stegen 2020). Alpha-lipoic acid raises cells' glutathione by improving cysteine uptake (Han 1997).
Part of a 3-in-1 system
Gluthanol™ is the Nourish technology. MMP13 Cartilage Technology™ (Soothe) is built around the enzyme that cuts cartilage collagen, and a third technology looks after the joint fluid (Lubricate). They are designed to work together.
What the evidence is
The research on this site is on glutathione in cartilage and on each of Gluthanol's ingredients, in cells, animals and people. The Gluthanol blend itself has not yet been tested in a published study. Every study is listed, with its evidence type, in the study library.
Other questions people ask
Is Gluthanol™ glutathione?
No. It contains no glutathione. It supplies the building blocks cells use to make their own.
Who developed it?
Gluthanol™ was developed in New Zealand by researchers at Koru Nutrition.
Sources
- Han D, Handelman G, Marcocci L et al. Lipoic acid increases de novo synthesis of cellular glutathione by improving cystine utilization. Biofactors 1997.
- Sophia Fox AJ, Bedi A, Rodeo SA. The basic science of articular cartilage: structure, composition, and function. Sports Health 2009.
- Carlo MD Jr, Loeser RF. Increased oxidative stress with aging reduces chondrocyte survival: correlation with intracellular glutathione levels. Arthritis Rheum 2003.
- Lu SC. Glutathione synthesis. Biochim Biophys Acta 2013.
- de Paz-Lugo P, Lupiáñez JA, Meléndez-Hevia E. High glycine concentration increases collagen synthesis by articular chondrocytes in vitro: acute glycine deficiency could be an important cause of osteoarthritis. Amino Acids 2018.
- Stegen S, Rinaldi G, Loopmans S et al. Glutamine Metabolism Controls Chondrocyte Identity and Function. Dev Cell 2020.
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