Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is an important antioxidant and is particularly important because it helps recycle glutathione (GSH) back into its active, fighting form. ALA’s effectiveness is due to its intimate involved with glutathione (GSH). Therefore, research shows that ALA benefits people with diabetes, HIV/AIDS, liver disease and cataracts. It also increases the endurance of body builders and speeds up muscle recovery time.

ALA is easily absorbed, can travel across cell membranes and it is both fat- and water-soluble so...it is effective inside and outside the cell and against a wide range of free radicals. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) can be found in very small amounts in foods such as spinach, broccoli, peas, Brewer's yeast, brussel sprouts, rice bran, and organ meats.

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...

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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?”

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.

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.

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.

What is glutathione’s role?

Imagine the antioxidants, vitamins C and E, as workers in a mine. They pick up the free radicals and carry them out to be handed over to glutathione. While GSH neutralizes the free radicals, C and E are able to go back into the mine to pick up more. An abundant supply of antioxidants results in more effective elimination of free radicals. This adds up to a healthier you!

I have and will stress the importance of an exceptional diet but...glutathione is not found in a fruit or vegetable. GSH is the only antioxidant that is manufactured in the cells. All the others come from the foods we eat; vitamins C, E, and A, Selenium, beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein are found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and some meats. There are many good resources available that can help sort out which foods contain which nutrient. Also...keep reading and I will help you walk through this information.

Until next time, eat your fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds...

Steps to Improve Your Health

Dr. Steven Dell

These terms are probably familiar, you know they are things that are good for you, but what exactly do they mean?

Let’s take a closer look at the role of antioxidants.

If you’ve ever owned a vehicle that rusted you already understand what oxidation is. Simply put oxidation is the reaction of a substance when oxygen is present. Our bodies need oxygen to live; cells consume oxygen and nutrients to produce energy. That oxidation process creates free radicals. Free radicals damage cells much like rust damages your car. Free radicals are waste products that our cells must neutralize by using antioxidants. GSH is the body’s main antioxidant.

The cardiovascular system, the digestive system and the immune system all require glutathione. GSH is known to help prevent heart disease and, if the patient is sticking to a healthy lifestyle, glutathione has been shown to reverse atherosclerosis.

In the digestive system increasing glutathione levels can help with bowel disease, pancreatitis, and ulcers. Our immune systems are strengthened by glutathione allowing our bodies to fight against infectious diseases and to minimize the damage done by carcinogens.

As we age, we become more at risk for contracting certain diseases such as prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cataracts. A search of the internet will result in many articles discussing the benefits of elevated GSH to treat these disorders.

Stay with me, this won’t be a chemistry lesson!

When all three building blocks are present, your cells can manufacture glutathione and you are more resistant to disease. Cysteine is the most important of the three building blocks because it is hard to find in food.

The diets of most people are deficient in foods containing cysteine. As a result you don’t have enough to produce the glutathione you need.