Glutathione Therapy In Various Disease States

Glutathione Therapy in Various Disease States • Acetaminophen Toxicity • ALS • Alzheimer’s • ASD (Autism) • Cancer • Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome • COPD • Cystic Fibrosis • Diabetes • Heavy Metal Toxicity • HIV • Huntington’s Disease • Liver Disease • Lyme Disease • Macular Degeneration • Multiple Sclerosis (MS) • Other Neurodegenerative Disease States • Parkinson’s Disease • Stroke • Additional Usages

Acetaminophen Toxicity Administration of NAC (a glutathione precursor) has been used in emergency medicine with great hepatoprotective success against acetaminophen toxicity. Acetaminophen has been shown to reduce glutathione production, thus paving the way for enhanced brain destruction by free radicals. (Perlmutter D. BrainRecovery.com. July 2004, 5th ed:108) > Read articles about Acetaminophen Toxicity and Glutathione > return to top

ALS Not only may glutathione deficiency playa role in the genesis of ALS, but its repletion offers the potential for a powerful therapeutic intervention. Glutathione’s potential for treating ALS is supported by recently published research from Harvard Medical School. The authors stated, “Perturbations of free radical homeostasis are proposed to cause ALS. A corollary hypothesis is that antioxidants should slow the disease course. One Strategy for antioxidant therapy is to manipulate levels of glutathione…” BrainRecovery.com, David Perlmutter, MD > Read articles about (ALS) Glutathione > return to top

Alzheimer’s Deficiencies of glutathione are seen in conditions of oxidative stress which include neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Decreased glutathione levels allows for enhanced free radicals, thus paving the way for enhanced brain destruction. > Read articles about Alzheimer's and Glutathione > return to top

ASD (Autism) Medical literature documents that an infection can lead to a lowering of glutathione, which participates in detoxification, interacts with metallothioneins, and supports many crucial aspects of immunity. A link between glutathione and autistic regression may derive from the fact that transient or chronic intestinal problems can impair an infant's or toddler's nutritional status, thereby minimizing the levels of amino-acids required for the production of glutathione (McCandless, J. Children With Starving Brains. 2003 2nd ed;251). > Read articles about (ASD) Autism and Glutathione

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Cancer Cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found to alter levels of glutathione compounds in experiments, which may alter the body’s resistance to certain types of cancer. Glutathione deficiencies have been linked to many forms of cancer. > Read articles about Cancer and Glutathione > return to top

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Oxidative stress appears to play a major role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies have shown that total glutathione concentrations were lower in all cardiovascular disease cases than in control subjects. Both the cerebral infarction cases and cerebral hemorrhage cases had significantly lower glutathione levels than the corresponding control groups among subgroups of subjects with various types of CVD. > read articles about Cardiovascular Disease and Glutathione > return to top

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome An article in the journal Medical Hypothesis proposed that glutathione, an antioxidant essential for lymphocyte function, may be depleted in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients. Glutathione is needed for both the immune system and for aerobic muscular contraction. The authors proposed that glutathione depletion by an activated immune system also causes the muscular fatigue and myalgia associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Bounous et al. 1999). > Read articles about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Glutathione > return to top

COPD Glutathione is the most efficient free radical scavenger in the airways, and dozens of studies have confirmed that free radical damage is a primary player in COPD. > Read articles about COPD and Glutathione > return to top

Cystic Fibrosis Glutathione neutralizes harmful oxidants introduced into the lungs or those released by cells. Bactericidal oxidants can overload the endobronchial terrain and feed the fires of inflammation. This staggering burden increases the oxidative sensitivity of the CF lung, resulting in further injury of lung parenchyma. Data supports evidence of a decrease in the antioxidant tri-peptide glutathione (Roum et al 1993). In the reduced form, glutathione protects erythrocytes by detoxifying hydrogen peroxide. > Read articles about Cystic Fibrosis and Glutathione > return to top

Diabetes The blood and tissues of diabetics are marked by critically low GSH levels. Glutathione depletion may have adverse consequences in diabetic patients, independent of glycemic control, and it may weaken the defense against oxidative stress. > Read articles about Diabetes and Glutathione > return to top

Heavy Metal Toxicity Elevated glutathione levels have been shown to protect tissue from lipid peroxidation created by exposure to certain metals. Consider infusions of glutathione in an IV push to relieve the body burden of both neurotoxins and metal toxicity, including mercury.

A weekly push of glutathione may be of significant benefit in treating the neurotoxicity patient. (Foster, JS, Kane PC, Speight N. The Detoxx Book. 2002;90.) > Read articles about Heavy Metal Toxicity and Glutathione > return to top

HIV Low glutathione levels in HIV patients may contribute to their immune deficiency since glutathione plays an important role in the function of lymphocytes. Some lymphocytes require adequate levels of glutathione in order to function normally, and HIV induces oxidative stress that depletes these cells of glutathione. > Read articles about HIV and Glutathione > return to top

Huntington’s Disease In has been shown in experimental models of Huntington’s disease (HD) that reduced glutathione is mutually depleted in both the striatum and hippocampus. This lack of neuroprotection might increase the levels of oxidative stress typically found in HD. > Read articles about Huntington's Disease and Glutathione > return to top

Liver Disease Glutathione is the most important antioxidant for neutralizing the free radicals produced in phase I of liver detoxification. Studies have shown that depletion of liver glutathione can lead to increased damage from these highly reactive free radicals. > Read articles about Liver Disease and Glutathione > return to top

Lyme Disease Lyme disease (LD) is a seriously complex multi-system inflammatory disease that is triggered by the bacterial lipoproteins (BLPs) produced by the spiral-shaped bacteria called Borrelia. Glutathione helps remove toxins such as BLPs by forming a soluble compound with them, which can then be excreted through the urine or gut. > Read articles about Lyme Disease and Glutathione > return to top

Macular Degeneration Glutathione exists in high concentrations in the lens. Studies have shown that oxidative stress plays a major role in damaging retinal pigment epithelium which is an early event in age related macular degeneration (AMD). Glutathione is vital in preventing further oxidative stress in those with age related macular degeneration. > Read articles about Macular Degeneration and Glutathione > return to top

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Observed depletion of GSH, elevation of ceramide level and apoptosis in banked human brains from patients with neuroinflammatory diseases (e.g. x-adrenoleukodystrophy and multiple sclerosis) suggest that the intracellular level of GSH may play a crucial role in the regulation of cytokine-induced generation of ceramide leading to apoptosis of brain cells in these diseases. J Biol Chem, Vol. 273, Issue 32, 20354-20362, August 7, 1998 - “Cytokine-mediated Induction of Ceramide Production Is Redoxsensitive.” > Read articles about (MS) Multiple Sclerosis and Glutathione > return to top

Other Neurodegenerative Disease States Glutathione is a critically important to our brains, as it is one of the most important brain antioxidants. Glutathione helps preserve brain tissue by preventing damage from free radicals. In addition to quenching dangerous free radicals, glutathione also acts to

recycle vitamin C and vitamin E, which also have the ability to reduce free radicals in the brain. (Perlmutter D. BrainRecovery.com. July 2004, 5th ed:13) > Read articles about Other Neurodegenerative Disease States and Glutathione > return to top

Parkinson’s Disease Glutathione helps to preserve brain tissue by preventing damage from free radicals – destructive chemicals formed by the normal processes of metabolism, toxic elements in the environment, and as a normal response of the body to challenges by infectious agents or other stresses. With the understanding that glutathione is important for brain protection, and that this protection may be lacking in the brains of Parkinson’s patients because of their glutathione deficiency, it may be beneficial. > Read articles about Parkinson's Disease and Glutathione Watch a video produced by Dr. David Perlmutter showing the before and after effects of IV glutathione on Parkinson's patients. > See Benefits of Glutathione > return to top

Stroke Cell death and free radical damage are results from stroke victims. Enhancing mitochondrial energy production is key to reestablishing function in these cells. Glutathione’s profound antioxidant activity plays a vital role in this process. > Read articles about Stroke and Glutathione