When you were young, did your grandmother ever tell you to keep your head warm or to not get your feet wet because you would catch a cold? There are many misconceptions in our society about how illnesses are “caught”. You might even catch yourself saying someone “gave” you a cold.

The truth is you may have been exposed to the virus but your immune system wasn’t up to the job of fighting it off.

Your immune system is your body’s first line of defense against diseases and it needs to be maintained and strengthened regularly. The human body is constantly bombarded by microorganisms. Bacteria, parasites and fungi are found inside the body and are abundant in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we consume. Over time the immune system’s resources are depleted and if they are not reinforced by glutathione the immune system is not able to resist disease.

Last time you learned in order for the immune system to perform effectively it needs to be maintained by sticking to a healthy lifestyle. In order to understand how glutathione plays a role, you need to better understand how the immune system works.

Viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, allergens and other microorganisms that are not supposed to be in your body are called “antigens”. When the immune system detects them, it responds quickly by activating specialized cells called “lymphocytes”. Studies have shown that glutathione is “food” for the immune cells, boosting the strength of lymphocytes. B-cell lymphocytes identify the unwanted antigen which is then attacked by T-cells. T-cells also shut down the immune response when the job is done. These cells have a memory that allows them to block a returning antigen before it can do any damage. That’s why cold viruses have to evolve and change in order to defeat this acquired immunity and most people only have the measles once in their life.

Previously you learned the immune system needs glutathione in order to operate effectively. Like any other cell in the body, the immune cells must manufacture their own glutathione. Many studies have shown that the level of glutathione in the lymphocytes corresponds directly to the ability of those lymphocytes to combat infection and disease.

If glutathione plays a pivotal role in the immune response then it makes sense a lack of glutathione is connected with many diseases. This connection is especially apparent in the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV). Recall that our immune system uses B-cells and T-cells to identify and fight antigens. HIV destroys T-cells which make up 80% of the immune system’s lymphocytes. The result is the body’s inability to protect against the invasion of microorganisms. Patients with HIV/AIDS can suffer life threatening infections from a virus or bacteria a healthy immune system hardly even notices.

Sometime ago I said glutathione (GSH) is an essential health “A.I.D.” Doctor’s have known about glutathione’s detoxifying role, the “D” in A.I.D., since the 1970’s. Emergency room doctors have long used glutathione (GSH) promoting drugs like NAC (n-acetyl-cysteine) to detoxify patients with certain drug overdoses such as acetaminophen.

New discoveries, thanks to growing interest in glutathione (GSH), have shown that the liver and kidney contain the highest levels of glutathione (GSH). These two organs are the most important organs for detoxification within your body.

You may be thinking, “I’m a healthy person, I don’t have any addictions. Why should I care about detoxification?”

In “Glutathione and the Detoxification Process – Part 1!” you learned it was impossible to avoid toxins; they are in your environment. But...by making lifestyle changes you can limit your exposure to toxins. Some of the toxins I’ll talk about may come as no surprise to you; cigarettes and radiation get a lot of media coverage.

This one may come as a surprise...did you realize there is a toxin risk associated with dental fillings? In addition, mercury, lead and other heavy metals put some people at risk in their workplaces.

Now more than ever we need to pay attention to the detoxification of our bodies.

Today I’ll focus on cigarettes.

Today you will learn more about how glutathione (GSH) supports your body’s detoxification efforts. Specifically, we’ll talk about the harmful effects of radiation.

Most of your exposure to radiation comes from natural sources such as the sun but a small amount also seeps out of soil and rocks, particularly bedrock, in the form of radon gas. Of these natural sources sunlight represents the biggest threat because of ozone layer depletion. The ozone layer filters out the harmful ultra-violet light that enters our atmosphere.

The biggest source of man-made radiation comes from medical procedures such as x-rays; radiograph, mammogram, and CT scan equipment emit very weak levels of radiation but the effect is cumulative...it builds with repeated exposure.

You are also exposed to radiation through waste from nuclear plants, other industrial waste, building materials and combustible fuels. Obviously the people who work in these industries are the most at risk but you are exposed to some degree; we all need to think about detoxification to protect our health.

We know radiation exposure causes approximately 3% of all cancers. This fact has been studied extensively. When you are exposed to radiation a very reactive type of free radical is formed called a “hydroxyradical”. Studies have shown glutathione’s (GSH) detoxification abilities play a key role in neutralizing hydroxyradicals and cancer specialists are now raising glutathione (GSH) levels in patients who are undergoing radiation therapy as part of their cancer treatment.

Some time ago, you learned cysteine, an amino acid, is a building block of glutathione (GSH). I also mentioned a healthy, balanced diet includes foods that provide some of the essential amino acids so important for good health. Unfortunately cysteine is difficult to get through diet alone.

I stress the need for a healthy diet because the supplement and vitamin market is a big one but not all of the claims made are accurate and some of the research is contradictory....if any exists in the first place. I’m not saying you shouldn’t take your multi-vitamin or other supplements. I am saying and recommend you become informed about what you are putting into your body.

Now, I need to refresh your memory about the precursors for glutathione (GSH); the building blocks: cysteine, glycine and glutamate. These building blocks travel into the blood stream and through the cell wall. The cell then joins them together making glutathione (GSH). Think of these building blocks like 3 Lego Blocks; a red one...a blue one and...a yellow one. When the red, blue and yellow make it to your cells, they join forces to become glutathione (GSH).

A molecule of the Drug: N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)!

Most of the studies about glutathione (GSH) have been done using pharmaceutical drugs; many of these drugs have been around for years. The most common drug used is called: N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC). You may have even seen it at the health food store. An ‘acetyl’ molecule is added to enable the cysteine to travel through your digestive system.

Doctors use NAC to treat diseases like cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, asthma and emphysema because it breaks up mucus in the lungs. Emergency room doctors reach for NAC when they treat an acetaminophen overdose. This is the drug most commonly used in glutathione (GSH) studies on people.

Cancer research has shown that NAC has the ability to substantially raise glutathione (GSH) levels. Even more exciting is the fact that NAC shows promise as an anti-carcinogen because it elevates glutathione levels (GSH). Good news for all you smokers out there! NAC also has an anti-tumour effect and we already know that elevated glutathione (GSH) is a detoxifier that can counteract the side effects of chemotherapy. If you are a cancer patient considering NAC, be sure to talk to your oncologist. He or she will probably recommend a more natural, non-drug, non-toxic alternative.

You’ve been reading about the drugs doctors use to raise glutathione (GSH) levels. Last time, you read about N-acetyl-cysteine, the drug most commonly used. Today you’ll learn about two other drugs used in research and very rarely by doctors.

As you can see, S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) contains methionine, a building block of cysteine. In other words, cysteine needs methionine just like glutathione (GSH) requires cysteine as a building block. SAM is used to treat cirrhosis and cholestasis, both conditions that prevent the liver from functioning properly. There is also some research being done into its use as an anti-depressant. This drug is an expensive one and it interacts negatively with other drugs. If you take SAM as a therapeutic treatment, it can cause dry mouth, agitation and stomach upset.

In addition, methionine is a building block of homocysteine, a molecule linked to heart disease.

You would only want to take SAM and methionine for very unique reasons and under strict doctor’s guidance and monitoring.

If you are simply looking to elevate glutathione (GSH) levels, there is a better, safer way.

You’re beginning to recognize how critical glutathione (GSH) is for good health and by now you’re probably very curious about how you can raise your glutathione (GSH) levels naturally, without drugs.

Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to do because your food does not contain enough building blocks, however, there is a supplement proven to do it. You’ll learn more about it very soon!

In the meantime, here’s a list of supplements touted as ways to raise glutathione (GSH) levels. You’ll also see their precautions...

Oral glutathione (GSH) and cysteine:

Both glutathione (GSH) and cysteine are available in pill or powder form. But...I don’t recommend you buy them.

Read this...