Glutathione is an important antioxidant present in our body. It is synthesized by the liver whereas it can be also consumed through diet. It plays various important role in body and most importantly it helps in decreasing oxidative stress, which is considered as one of the leading causes of degenerative diseases thus it is better to maintain a healthy glutathione level in body in order to reduces the susceptibility of becoming ill
This article will discuss about 15 natural remedies that help to increase the level of glutathione in body –
Enrich the meal with sulfur rich food
- Consumption of sulfur rich food is very effective for improving the level of glutathione in body
- Sulfur is widely present in various amino acids among which the most important two amino acids are cysteine and methionine. They act as the precursors for glutathione thus help in promoting glutathione synthesis
- Egg, fish, meat, onion, broccoli, garlic, cabbage, kale, bread, rice, Brussels sprouts, mustard green, cauliflower, watercress contain significant amount of sulfur thus they should be included in the diet in order to increase glutathione level
Increase your selenium intake
- Selenium is an important trace element that acts as glutathione cofactor and plays vital role in improving glutathione activity
- Increase selenium intake significantly increases glutathione level in body
- Chicken, beef, other organ meats, fish, dairy products especially cottage cheese, Brazil nut, brown rice are rich sources of selenium. So they should be included in the diet for increasing the level of glutathione
- It has seen that consumption of selenium significantly improves the level of glutathione peroxidase enzyme in individual on hemodialysis
Include Vitamin C in diet
- Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and plays important role in improving the level of glutathione in body
- It acts as an antioxidant, which helps to protect the body from free radical induced oxidative damages and also helps in increasing the overall antioxidant level in body especially the level of glutathione
- It is widely available in vegetables and fruits especially in citrus fruits thus these foods should be included in the diet in order to increase glutathione level
Consume fruits and vegetables abundantly
- Diet should contain abundant amount of fruits and vegetables especially cruciferous vegetables as they play important role in improving the glutathione level in body
- Whereas their consumption is also related with preventing the depletion of body glutathione level
- They contain phytonutrients as well, which are also accountable for increasing the level of antioxidants in body and prevent oxidative stress
Consume foods, which are naturally rich in glutathione
- Though human body can synthesize glutathione but glutathione can be also consumed through diet so it is better to focus on consuming those foods, which contain glutathione and consumption of such foods significantly improve glutathione level
- Spinach, onion, garlic, cruciferous vegetables, okra, avocados, carrot watermelon and asparagus are considered as the richest source of glutathione thus they should be included in the diet for boosting up the overall glutathione level in body
Include more dairy in diet
- Milk or any dairy products help in increasing glutathione concentration in many folds
- It contains beta casein, which is considered as the main component responsible for increasing glutathione level in body
- It mainly increases the level of glutathione in brain especially of older adults
Focus on consuming whey protein
- Incorporation of whey protein is considered as one of the most effective measures for increasing glutathione level due to its cysteine content
- Cysteine plays vital role in promoting the synthesis of glutathione thus it helps to increase the glutathione level in many folds
Often consume milk thistle extract
- Milk Thistle is an important flowering herb belongs to Daisy family. It is native to Mediterranean countries and has been traditionally used for various medicinal purposes
- It has seen that consumption of its extract or consumption of supplements prepared from the extract of milk thistle plant significantly improves glutathione level
- Basically it is composed of three imperative biologically active components, which are collectively known as silymarin and silymarin is extremely popular for its antioxidant activity. So consumption of such supplements or extract are very effective for increasing the level of antioxidant in body especially glutathione and help to protect the body from oxidative damages
Have organ meat
- Consumption of organ meat is very effective for increasing glutathione level
- It contains lipoic acid, which is directly linked with regenerating glutathione
- It is associated with supporting the sustained activity of Vitamin E and Vitamin C in body too, which also help in preventing the depletion of glutathione in body
- So it is better to include organ meat often in diet for providing the glutathione level a boost
Include egg in diet
- It is better to include egg in diet because egg helps in increasing the level of glutathione in body
Have turmeric
- Turmeric contains an important constituent named curcumin, that plays imperative role in promoting glutathione metabolism thus consumption of turmeric is thought to be very effective for improving glutathione level in body
- Curcumin is also associated with restoring the level of glutathione and helps in improving the activity of glutathione enzyme as well
- So it is better to incorporate turmeric into diet, especially turmeric extract because turmeric extract contains more concentrated form of curcumin than the spice
Physical activity
- We all know that regular physical activity or exercise is extremely helpful for maintaining a good physical and mental health
- It is also associated with increasing the level of antioxidant especially glutathione in body, which plays vital role in preventing oxidative stress thus promotes overall wellbeing
- It has seen that individual who participate in regular physical activity have higher level of glutathione in their body
Stress reduction
- Stress is considered as one of the most vital factors responsible for depleting glutathione level in body
- It has seen that the level of cortisol and adrenaline hormone get increased during stress condition and body cannot cope up with these high level of cortisol and adrenaline for long period of time as a result it decreases glutathione level
- So it is always better to reduce stress level in order to improve glutathione concentration. Practicing of some mindfulness exercises or yoga or spending some time outside significantly reduces stress and thus help to boost the glutathione level
Have adequate sleep
- Proper sleeping is considered as one of the most effective natural measures for improving glutathione level in body
- It has seen that insufficient sleeping or long term lacking of sleep is accountable for increasing the susceptibility of oxidative stress as well as hormonal imbalances, which ultimately results in decreasing glutathione level
- A healthy and restorative sleep in night is very helpful for boosting up the glutathione level in body
Better to say no to alcohol
- We all know that excessive alcohol intake increases the risk of developing various diseases, like hepatic disorders especially cirrhosis of liver, pancreatitis, brain damage etc
- Whereas it has also seen that increase intake of alcohol subsequently decreases the glutathione level especially in lung. The small airways of lungs require glutathione for functioning properly. As alcoholism decreases the level of glutathione in lung thus it increases the prevalence of respiratory disorders, this is why alcoholics are more prone to develop respiratory illness
- So it is better to avoid alcohol consumption in order to prevent the depletion of glutathione level in lung
Above stated measures are really very effective for increasing glutathione level in body.
Source:
Bhattacharjee, A., Chakraborty, K. and Shukla, A., 2017. Cellular copper homeostasis: Current concepts on its interplay with glutathione homeostasis and its implication in physiology and human diseases. Metallomics, 9(10), pp.1376-1388.
Dolbashid, A.S., Mohktar, M.S., Zaman, W.S.W.K., Basri, N.R.H., Azmi, M.F., Sawai, S. and Ilyasa, M.Y.H., 2017, December. Effects of Oral Glutathione Precursors’ Supplementation on Human Glutathione Level. In International Conference for Innovation in Biomedical Engineering and Life Sciences (pp. 147-151). Springer, Singapore.
Grey, V., Mohammed, S.R., Smountas, A.A., Bahlool, R. and Lands, L.C., 2003. Improved glutathione status in young adult patients with cystic fibrosis supplemented with whey protein. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 2(4), pp.195-198.
Gutman, J., 2005. Glutathione. GSH Your Body’s Most Powerful Protector Glutathione, pp.191-93.
Minich, D.M. and Brown, B.I., 2019. A review of dietary (phyto) nutrients for glutathione support. Nutrients, 11(9), p.2073.