Info: 60 Capsules; Available in Two Types and Strengths
Widely heralded as "The Mother of All Antioxidants," Glutathione can help regulate the immune system and support the liver to maintain good health. Some of its other potential benefits include enhancing the effect of NOx boosters like L-Citrulline to decrease muscle soreness after exercise or to help with mild to moderate ED, and brightening or evening out skin tone.
Info: 60 Capsules; Available in Two Types and Strengths
Widely heralded as "The Mother of All Antioxidants," Glutathione can help regulate the immune system and support the liver to maintain good health. Some of its other potential benefits include enhancing the effect of NOx boosters like L-Citrulline to decrease muscle soreness after exercise or to help with mild to moderate ED, and brightening or evening out skin tone.
Product Notes:
Glutathione is a molecule composed of three amino acids (cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine) that serves several vital functions throughout our bodies, most notably as an antioxidant (both by itself and by replenishing or recycling other ones like vitamin C) and a detoxifying agent (it can even help disassemble and eliminate certain heavy metals like mercury).
Although present in nearly every cell of our body, it's most concentrated in the liver, where it reacts with toxins including alcohol to form 'conjugates' to be carried away by bile and excreted by the kidneys. While we do synthesize it ourselves form dietary sources, we produce less as we age, and other factors can also lead to deficiencies.
There are two types of Glutathione available, here. Both are in "reduced" form, meaning they're already in a non-oxidized, stable form that's ready to go to work (by triggering enzymatic reactions, e.g.), but have not been encapsulated in lipids or fatty acids, as some types are. Although they are unlikely to be taken up by many individual cells outside the liver in this form without first getting broken down to its three constituents again, they can be absorbed intact into the bloodstream, where they can help keep nitric oxide levels in circulation longer, making them a useful companion to nitric oxide boosters such as L-Citrulline or L-Arginine.
The first type is a regular strength formula with 250 mg of pure L-Glutathione per capsule. The second, Extra Strength version is double that dose (500 mg) and is also bolstered by two other powerful antioxidants to enhance Glutathione's liver-supporting properties:
* Milk Thistle, whose active ingredient Silymarin protects the liver in several ways (preventing hardening, scarring and inflammation of the liver tissue and preventing some toxins from binding with it) and also has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties; and,
* Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), which also helps the liver detoxify from alcohol and other toxins (including overdoses of acetaminophen and heavy metals like mercury) and can also help put other antioxidants like vitamins C and E and glutathione itself back in the game by 'recharging' them when they get oxidized.
Finally, it should be noted that glutathione can also help maintain the normal expression of skin pigments, and so is used by many people to lighten or whiten their skin. Of course, "Results may vary," as they say, and even some dermatologists who use injectable forms of it in their practice advise it should be better thought of as 'brightening' than 'lightening' and observe that even successful results will not last that long if you discontinue supplementation.
More: See Pure Encapsulations Liposomal Glutathione and Natural Factors Glutathione LipoMicel Matrix.
Ingredients:
Each capsule of the 250 mg Strength contains:
L-Glutathione: 250 mg.
Non-medicinal ingredients: Rice Flour, Vegetable Capsule (hypromellose, water), Magnesium Stearate (vegetable source) and Silica.
Each capsule of the 500 mg Strength contains:
L-Glutathione (Whole Fungus; Candida utilis): 500 mg
Milk Thistle Extract (Silybum marianum, Seed/Fruit) (Standardized to contain 80% Silymarin): 100 mg
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA): 50 mg
Non-medicinal ingredients: Vegetable Capsule (hypromellose, water), Cellulose, Magnesium Stearate (vegetable source), Silica.
These are both Non-GMO, Vegan/Vegetarian and Kosher products which are made without gluten and are free of dairy, eggs, nuts, and soy.
Suggested Usage:
Adults: Take 1 capsule of either type daily, preferably with a meal. Store bottle in a cool, dry place.
Warnings:
250 mg Strength: Consult with a healthcare practitioner prior to using NOW Glutathione if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or if you are currently taking any herbs or prescription medications. Discontinue use if gastrointestinal effects occur.
500 mg Strength: Consult a healthcare practitioner prior to using NOW Glutathione Extra Strength if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a liver disease or diabetes. Consult a health care practitioner if symptoms persist or worsen after you've been taking it. Hypersensitivity/allergy is known to occur with milk thistle, in which case, discontinue use.
Health Canada Natural Product Numbers: 80034134 for 250mg Strength; 80042388 for Extra Strength.
Supporting Science:
“Chronic Liver Disease and Silymarin: A Biochemical and Clinical Review.” Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology, 2020.
“Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2010.
“Combined L-citrulline and glutathione supplementation increases the concentration of markers indicative of nitric oxide synthesis.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2015.
“Glutathione in the treatment of liver diseases: insights from clinical practice.” Minerva Gastroenterologica e Dietologica, 2016.
“Hepatoprotective Actions of Ascorbic Acid, Alpha Lipoic Acid and Silymarin or Their Combination Against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats.” Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 2019.
“Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction.” Urology, 2011.
“Silymarin as Supportive Treatment in Liver Diseases: A Narrative Review.” Advances in Therapy, 2020.
“The potential protective role of alpha-lipoic acid against acetaminophen-induced hepatic and renal damage.” Toxicology, 2008.
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