Glutathione Production In The Liver
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What Is Glutathione?
Think
back to the last time you attended a family get-together. Perhaps this was a recent family reunion, a
holiday dinner, or a barbecue picnic.
Here was an event where a bunch of “Johnsons” “Smiths” or some other
clan sat around swapping stories, pictures, laughs, and lot's of Aunt Juniper's
world-famous buffalo-beet pie. Yes, here
is where the memories were made. While
every family member is important, there's always an extra special member who is
such a character that they make each time together unforgettable. In the Protein family, that is Glutathione.
Glutathione
is a tripeptide synthesized from 3 amino acids—glycine, cysteine, and
glutamate. Think of these amino acids as
protein juniors or the building blocks that make up the larger protein. Technically, glutathione is not big enough to
be considered a protein, but because it is so remarkable, we'll make an exception
and discuss glutathione as an honorary member of the Protein family.
Why Is Glutathione Important?
Glutathione
is a superstar! Much like the riveting
stories that cousin Jamal tells about his triple back flip high jumps on his
motorbike, glutathione plays a similarly stunning role in the body. It maintains health, provides immune system
support, detoxifies, and conducts impressive germ-fighting missions. Scary free-radicals that enter the body
are in trouble when they meet this superstar anti-oxidant. It is programmed to destroy enemy invaders
while it gently revives cellular partners wounded in battle like Vitamin C to
help keep you safe, healthy, and looking your best.
Earlier,
we learned that glutathione is built from 3 amino acids: glycine, cysteine, and glutamate. The liver's process for making this
glutathione takes place in two steps. In
step one, the glutamate is hooked onto the cysteine. In step two, glycine is bonded to cysteine.
In order for this process to work though, there should be enough ATP available
to power this production process. ATP is
the body's energy currency needed to power all sorts of processes. If you called a contractor to build a house
and the fee was $300,000, but you only had 25 cents, clearly that's not enough
currency for this job. Similary, ATP is
the currency needed to complete important tasks—like glutathione production in
the body. That is the importance of
eating the right foods—it's where your currency ultimately comes from. Since ATP is best made from the healthy
foods we eat, in cases where healthy food intake is not possible, then making
up the difference with healthy supplements may prove to be a reasonable
option. It is also thought that for the
glutathione process to work properly, adequate cysteine must be available in
the body as a raw material for building glutathione. This again underscores the importance of
healthy intakes so that the body has this building material on hand for
glutathione production.
It
should be noted that while the liver is a major consumer (and thus supplier)
for glutathione because of its wonderful detoxifying abilities, glutathione is
found almost universally throughout the body in the cytosol (think ocean spaces
between continents on the globe) of cells.
Who Can Benefit From Glutathione
And What Are Dietary Sources For This Antioxidant?
Glutathione
production is sensitive to protein intake and how healthy the body is. Here's how
healthy glutathione levels in the body are tragically destroyed:
- poor protein intake
- inflammation
- sickness and disease
- toxic environments
- cigarette smoking
- caffeine consumption
- processed food consumption
- harmful drugs
- stress
Anyone
exposed to these glutathione busters may benefit from strategies to improve
glutathione levels in the liver and throughout the body. These strategies may include anything from
stress management to smoking cessation.
If you need help, think wellness center or fitness coach.
The
strategy that unanimously benefits health is adequate dietary intake. Healthy glutathione levels are easier to
achieve when adequate protein intake is part of an overall healthy diet and
lifestyle. Protein is found in
everything from beans to avocados. The
safest protein comes from foods that don't double cross you with a positive
ingredient coupled with a deadly one (ie. high protein liver which also
delivers high cholesterol that endangers your heart). No one looks into a casket and admires your
smooth, wrinkle-free, glutathione enhanced skin while you lie there dead from a
diet induced-heart attack. Thus, fresh
fruits and vegetables are your best friends here. For healthy adults, the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics recommends a daily protein intake of 46 grams/day (women) and 56
grams/day (men). For many that's as easy
as a steaming bowl of lentils and home made protein shake. Additional foods
that may encourage healthy glutathione levels include spinach, squash,
asparagus, and fresh tomatoes.
Summary
As
a quick review, glutathione is an antioxidant that fights unwanted
free-radicals that enter your body.
Unchecked, these free-radicals encourage pre-mature aging, being prone
to sickness because your body has trouble fighting off diseases, and feeling
bad in general. Maintaining adequate
glutathione levels helps the body to stay safe and healthy. One way to maintain good glutathione levels
in the body is to eat adequate protein.
For healthy adults, that's about 46-56 grams/day. The body efficiently converts the protein you
digest into amino acids that are assembled to make glutathione in the liver as
needed. Now you don't have to wait until your next family get-together to see a
remarkable family member. Glutathione is
just a grocery store trip away!
For More Information
Content
for this guide was obtained from the following sources:
1.
Gropper SS. Glutathione. In: Advanced Nutrition And
Human Metabolism, 5th ed. Belmont:
Wadsworth, 2009, Chap. 6.
3.
Protein shake
recipe: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/breakfastrecipe1/r/proteinshake.htm
Glutathione:
The Great Protector: Experience Life
Written by Sandia Waller, Medical
Missionary of:
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Disclaimer
This
guide is for general informational purposes only. Please consult your health care provider for
professional attention to meet your individualized needs. The distributor and affiliates of this
publication are not responsible for adverse effects that result from misuse of
this guide.
