Foods that Increase Glutathione Levels in the Body

Nature's Gift of Longevity with Health
The Master Antioxidant & Detoxification Mechanism – The Role of Glutathione in the Body

"We've already found dozens of ways to live an extra decade or two - in good health. The easiest and surest way: Increase your body's supply of glutathione, a natural compound that is a tripeptide (combination of three amino acids)." - Dr. David Williams.

Glutathione is the body's master antioxidant and detoxifier. Foods that boost glutathione levels can help the body rid itself of heavy metals, chemicals and other toxic substances. Glutathione is central to immune system effectiveness. This same simple tripeptide is key to retaining youth and health overall.

Glutathione plays at least 14 fundamental roles in metabolic and biochemical reactions including:

1. DNA synthesis and repair
2. protein synthesis
3. cellular regulation
4. redox balance (electron transfer at the cellular level)
5. metabolism
6. prostaglandin synthesis (controls vascular smooth muscle constriction or dilation and many other vital functions)
7. amino acid transport and enzyme activation 
8. maintaining other antioxidants like Vitamin C and E in their active forms
9. modulating (regulating) proper immune response
10. increasing lymphocyte presence (T cells, B cells and Natural Killer Cells) while improving their effectiveness
11. regulating apoptosis
12. assists in the detoxification of the small intestines, thus improving digestion
13. assists in the detoxification of lungs, thus improves respiratory conditions, especially in cases of lung toxicity (smoking, asbestos, coal mining, etc.)
14. assists in the protection of the nervous system, thus the prevention or improvement of neurological disorders

Thus, every system in the body can be affected by the presence of glutathione in the body, especially the immune system, the gastrointestinal system, the nervous system, and the lungs.

The Effects of Heat & Storage on Glutathione Containing Foods

Both heat and long term storage reduce the quantity of viable glutathione in the food source. Thus maximum benefits are derived from consuming glutathione containing foods in their raw state. 

Only raw fruits & vegetables, raw dairy & whey, raw eggs & raw or rare meat contain viable amounts of glutathione. Fresh human breast milk is high in glutathione also, yet this diminishes rapidly if the milk is left out on the counter for later use, frozen, or refrigerated, losing as much as 70-80% of its original content. Cooked, pasteurized and processed foods contain little to no viable glutathione. (Ankrah NA  et al. J Trop Pediatr. 2000 Apr;46(2):111-3)

It is important to note that microwaved food has little to no nutrition in it at all, as the microwaving converts the food and drink into toxic compounds. This includes water. (http://naturalsociety.com/microwaves/)

Physical Longevity & the Effects of Toxicity on Glutathione

In animal experiments, increased glutathione consumption increased longevity by about 40%.

The more toxic the body is, however, the faster glutathione levels in the body are used up.

As an example, in experimental animals, glutathione was reduced 70 to 80% within four hours after administering acetaminophen (Tylenol). (Drug Chem Toxicol 81;4(1):37-48). A similar conclusion can be drawn regarding all other pharmaceutical drug-based therapies as well as other forms of toxic exposures from the home, work, diet & environment.

Therefore, if you have ever been exposed to the following you need to pay very close attention to consuming glutathione supportive foods on a daily basis:

• prescription drugs, radiation-based diagnostic or therapy measures
• immunization shots
• antibiotics
• over the counter drugs
• microwaved food, water or beverages (converts all to toxins)
• still have, or had, silver-mercury amalgam fillings in your mouth
• have been exposed to house or farm use herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or chemical cleaning fluids
• have used non-organic cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, sunscreens, or toothpastes (the ones with poison control warnings on the label!)
• have been exposed to work related chemicals or radiation
• have been in the military
• have lived near nuclear power plants, munitions manufacturing plants, chemical manufacturing plants, oil refinery plants, electrical power generating plants, or toxic waste disposal sites
• have lived in a moldy home, or exposed to workplace or yard mold 
• have lived, or work, or attended school near a cell phone tower or an airport
• have WIFI in your home or are subjected to broadcasts from your neighbors
• have a Smart Meter on your home or workplace
• spend time on a cell phone or cordless phone,
• have a Smart TV, Smart appliances/light bulbs, or are being exposed to harmful scalar waves by other means

Glutathione Supportive Foods Help Detoxify the Body

A steady, daily intake of glutathione supportive foods is the best way to maintain high levels of glutathione in the body and thereby chip away at the stockpile of toxins that have accumulated over the years (and continue to take in on a daily basis).

Food sources that increase glutathione do so by providing glutathione directly or its precursors, or enhance its production by some other means.

You cannot readily increase glutathione levels in the body with supplemental pill-forms of glutathione - so save your money. Eat your way to health instead!

The reason that the pill-form of glutathione doesn't work is primarily because glutathione is manufactured inside the cell, or within the liver, from its three precursor amino acids, glycine, glutamic acid, and cysteine (which can be toxic in the supplemental form). So food sources that provide these amino acids is the most efficient way to improve glutathione levels in the body.

Foods that are high in glutathione precursors and therefore help boost glutathione levels naturally are best when eaten raw or fermented (like in sauerkraut or whey) since they are heat sensitive. Cooking, pasteurization, and microwaving food destroys the delicate glutathione molecules.

Food sources of glutathione precursors include the following:

1. Raw goat whey, cultured at home, (by simply leaving it out on the counter until the curds and whey separate, or adding Sacred Clay to accelerate the separation of curds & whey in one to three days depending on room temperature) is one of the highest known source of glutathione precursor cysteine, and is readily absorbed. The dry powder of un-denatured raw whey protein is an acceptable option as long as it comes from antibiotic and hormone free, grass fed animals.
2. Raw goats milk (should be hormone and antibiotic free) will also contain cysteine, although the whey itself is the form that is most easily assimilated.
3. Cow whey is also high in glutathione, though the molecular structure of the goat milk is more suitable for the human body (cow milk is designed by Nature to bring a calf from birth to several hundred pounds. This is excessive for the human being).
4. Milk thistle seed helps to prevent glutathione depletion in the liver. It is also a natural liver detoxifier and liver protectant.
5. Asparagus consumed raw is the highest plant-based source of glutathione.
6. Raw okra is also naturally high and assists in the elimination of the mucoid plaque in the small intestines.
7. Rice bran, high in Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) promotes the synthesis of glutathione in the body.
8. Several spices found in Indian curry including turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom and curcumin contain glutathione.
9. Rosemary
10. The sulfur containing vegetables (kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, garlic, cauliflower, bok choy, watercress, mustard, horseradish, turnips, rutabagas, kohlrabi) assist in the making of glutathione in the body (glutathione is a sulfur containing molecule).
11. Raw eggs
12. Pink Sulfur Salt (Black Salt)
13. Grape seed extract
14. Bilberry 
15. Avocados
16. Ripe seeds of the green bean
17. Red beets
18. Aloe vera
19. Peaches, and watermelon
20. Pycnogenol from pine bark.
21. Brazil nuts - the highest natural source of selenium. Selenium is a co-factor for the enzyme glutathione peroxidase. (1-2 Brazil nuts per day - no more).
22. The most valuable and effective glutathione promoters are sea vegetables. Most of them contain glutathione in addition to additional compounds that support its production at the cellular level. Sea vegetables also contain protein, amino acids, minerals, electrolytes, and numerous phyto nutritional compounds that boost immune response and assist in hormone production among many other benefits to the human body. (Glutathione Related Disorders: Do Seaweeds have Potential for Cure) 

Glutathione supportive foods are Nature's way of giving us long lives with health and vitality! 

Enjoy the simple gifts from Nature!

Disclaimer and primer on how to create health naturally:  The Truth About Building Physical Health

Michael King is a Life Enrichment Consultant, a natural intuitive, a researcher of Nature's most powerful healing resources the world over, the author of "Detoxify, Nourish & Build - Three Essentials for Vibrant Health" and the Vital Health News Updates - a periodic newsletter documenting the most life-building natural resources on the planet. Michael is also an advocate of sustainable gardening, environmental responsibility, and an architect of ways to increase global food production. www.VitalityHerbsAndClay.com