What is glutathione, and why do you need to ensure its intake?

We all know that antioxidants are super important when it comes to our health. But there is one particular antioxidant, glutathione, that is being referred to as the ‘mother of all antioxidants’ experts like Dr Mark Hyman, who is a 14 times NYT bestseller, a family physician, and an international leader in the field of Functional Medicine.
In one of his recent Instagram posts, Dr Hyman calls glutathione as a “critical soldier in our line of defense.” He goes on to share that besides our body making glutathione itself, “we even have mechanisms that recycle and reuse it.”
“But what happens when our toxic burden becomes too high?” Elaborating, Dr Hyman wrote, “Our genetic detoxification software was designed to handle naturally-occurring toxins, not the 85,000 industrial chemicals present in our environment today. Poor diet, pollution, medications, stress, trauma, infections, and electromagnetic radiation also contribute toward our depletion of glutathione. As a result, toxins begin to build up and cause damage to our cells.”‘

 
He added that “we need a detoxification software update, but we are at the mercy of evolution, which takes longer than the time we have. Luckily, there are ways to increase your levels naturally using food as medicine, certain supplements, and lifestyle changes.” In his post, Dr Hyman shared his top nine tips for increasing your intake of glutathione:
Eat sulfur rich foods
Dr Hyman suggested eating cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, cabbage along with dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens, watercress, Bok choy as well as “allium vegetables” like onions, garlic, shallots, leeks.
Crush or chop vegetables
This will help activate glucosinolates; “the bioactive molecules that increase glutathione enzyme activity”. He added that you can also “stick to steaming or eating raw for maximum benefits.”

Eat selenium-rich foods
Foods like Brazil nuts, wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef which increase selenium which is needed to power glutathione peroxidase, the enzyme that removes free radicals from inside the cell.
Foods that contain vitamin B
Dr Hyman noted foods like grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, chicken, wild-caught salmon, and leafy greens as excellent sources of vitamin B, essential for producing and recycling glutathione.
Vitamins C and E
You can get your vitamin C and E intake from leafy greens, citrus fruits, kiwi and nuts, seeds, and avocado respectively.
Cysteine
The rate-limiting amino acid needed to make glutathione can be found in pasture-raised chicken, turkey, eggs, grass-fed dairy products, and sunflower seeds.

Foods that contain alpha-lipoic acid
“Like glutathione, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is an antioxidant made the body,” noted Dr Hyman, adding its functions which include recycling vitamins C and E, helping with glucose metabolism, supporting the nervous system, and overall liver function. ALA can be found in grass-fed meats, organ meats, broccoli, tomatoes, and Brussels sprouts.
Exercise your way to more glutathione
Besides dietary supplements, glutathione can also be acquired through exercise. “Start slow and build your way up to 30 minutes daily,” advised Dr Hyman, adding that brisk walking, jogging, or biking are great for cardio along with 20 minutes of strength training thrice a week. He also warned to not overdo it as it can have the “reverse effect”.
Good quality sleep
Lastly, he stressed on good quality sleep as “chronic lack of sleep depletes glutathione levels.”
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