Glutathione is a tripeptide of three amino acids, cysteine, glutamate and glycine, and it is the most abundant antioxidant your cells make. Almost every cell in the body produces it, and it is consumed continuously in the ordinary business of neutralising the reactive oxygen species that normal metabolism generates.
What it does
Three roles are well established. It protects cells from oxidative damage. It supports the liver's handling of drugs and other compounds, which is where the word "detoxification" comes from, though the word is used far more loosely in marketing than in biochemistry. And it participates in normal immune function, particularly in lymphocytes.
Levels fall with age, and are lowered further by illness, chronic alcohol use, certain medications and sustained physical stress.
Why it is infused rather than swallowed
Oral glutathione is poorly absorbed: the digestive tract breaks most of it down into its constituent amino acids before it reaches circulation. That is the practical argument for intravenous delivery, which puts it into the bloodstream directly and reaches concentrations oral dosing cannot.
It is also why precursors are worth knowing about. N-acetylcysteine gives the body the rate-limiting building block and lets it make its own, which is a well-supported route and a cheaper one.
Where the evidence is, and where it is not
This is the part most clinics skip. The biochemistry of glutathione is not in dispute. The clinical evidence for infusing it in otherwise healthy adults is thinner than the marketing around it suggests, and studies in areas such as fatty liver disease and Parkinson's are promising rather than conclusive.
We offer glutathione as part of a nutrient infusion because it is reasonable, low-risk and frequently appreciated. We do not sell it as a treatment for a disease, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
