How to Know When You Have a Glutathione Deficiency?

Do you often find yourself complaining of persistent tiredness and joint aches? Is falling asleep at night becoming difficult, and if you do fall asleep, waking up on time getting harder? While these could be considered factors of aging, the underlying reason could be a decline in the body’s natural production of essential substances.

When we grow older, glutathione levels in the body decline, and it starts impacting how we feel and look. Poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, daily stress, and environmental pollution can further deplete glutathione synthesis. When these external factors are not controlled, they can lead to the production of free radicals (highly reactive molecules that can damage cell health), resulting in oxidative stress. In this post, we will explore the importance of glutathione for our body, what its normal levels are, the symptoms of its insufficiency, and how it can be remedied effectively.

Glutathione: What Is It?

Glutathione is a tripeptide comprised of three amino acids: L-cysteine, L-glutamic acid, and glycine. It acts as a powerful antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress and protects our cells. It helps detoxify the body by eliminating toxins and promotes immunity, which maintains overall health. 

Over time, however, glutathione’s natural production becomes slow due to several controllable (diet and lifestyle) and uncontrollable factors (aging and environment). When this happens, it results in low glutathione levels, which hamper the functioning of our body’s natural processes. Many people resort to oral supplementation and take a to boost glutathione levels in the body and notice significant improvement within weeks.

Why Is It Important for Our Health?

Glutathione serves as the master detoxifier that helps protect our cells from damage by fighting off free radicals. It safeguards our health against the harmful effects of mold and mycotoxins, which can impair the body’s immune function and make us susceptible to weak or ill health.

Glutathione also supports cellular health by controlling the antioxidant activity within cells. This activity helps expel toxins from cells and protects their mitochondria from oxidative damage, helping them function well.

Glutathione assists in regulating the body’s inflammatory response, preventing chronic inflammation, which results in many health issues. It also delays aging and lowers the odds of age-related illnesses. Maintaining the optimum levels of this compound also supports muscle health and recovery, as well as increases insulin sensitivity, which is deemed critical for managing blood sugar levels.

Healthy Levels

Tests to check glutathione levels in the body are conducted in red blood cells and plasma. Here are the ranges for both:

Normal ranges in plasma:

Reduced GSH: 3.8 – 5.5 umol/L

GSS (oxidized glutathione): 0.16 – 0.50 umol/L

Total glutathione (GSH+GSSG): 3.8 – 5.5 umol/L

Standard range in RBCs:

1,000-1,900 umol/L (1,100 -1,200 umol/L is sometimes considered “low.”)

What Happens When You’re Glutathione Deficient?

When you’re glutathione deficient, your body suffers from oxidative stress. Normally, this antioxidant stabilizes the free radicals by releasing electrons. However, when glutathione levels dip, your body doesn’t have enough antioxidants to release electrons, leaving the free radicals at large. 

Free radicals can then damage living cells, tissues, and DNA, putting you at risk of autoimmune diseases and other health conditions. To know if you’re glutathione deficient, watch out for these warning signs:

Mild deficiency:

• Low energy
• Joint and muscle pains
• Foggy brain
• Low immunity
• Poor sleep

Severe deficiency:

• Anemia
• Frequent infections
• Seizures
• Loss of coordination
• Liver disease
• Heart attack and stroke

If you notice any of these symptoms, chances are your glutathione levels are low. To balance them, consider adding sulfur-rich foods like mushrooms and greens like okra and broccoli to your diet. Although these dietary additions can help boost your glutathione levels, it may not be easy to follow this diet. Taking a glutathione supplement instead can help you here. Glutathione supplements pack the goodness of organic whole foods like nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables and powerful antioxidants that enhance the absorption of glutathione by cells in the body and promote good health.

So, choose the right glutathione supplement today and say goodbye to achy joints and muscles and poor health.