The Secret Immune Boost You've Been Looking For- Glutathione

September often marks the return of the back-to-school cold. And now, with many adults returning to the office for the first time all year, we expect the common cold to run rampant throughout most households.

The only way to avoid this seasonal annoyance is by giving your immune system the boost it needs to fight off the cold and any other virus. And the absolute best approach to boost your immune system is through a glutathione IV therapy treatment.

But first, what is glutathione?

Glutathione is one of the most important molecules for human health. It is both the “mother” of all antioxidants and the “master” of the body’s detoxification system. The protein is made up of three amino acids- glycine, cysteine, and glutamate.

As an antioxidant, glutathione provides protection against oxidative stress. By definition, an antioxidant is anything that neutralizes oxidants or free radicals. Antioxidants do this by donating an electron and stabilizing the free radical. This will also lower the cell’s oxidative status. The amino acids that create glutathione have the perfect structure to very easily accept and give away electrons.

Without the presence of glutathione in the detoxification process, toxins like excess hormones, chemicals, environmental pollutants, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals would have no way of leaving our bodies. A backup of such major toxins in the body can lead to liver damage and other illness and disease. This is why the depletion of glutathione in the human body is also linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration.

In the detoxification process, glutathione serves two main roles:

• It binds to toxins and alerts the body that they are hazardous. In binding to toxins, glutathione will neutralize the positive charge and prevent toxins from attaching to important cellular components.

• Next, glutathione transforms the hazardous toxins into a form that can be expelled or further metabolized. Specifically, glutathione converts the toxins into a water-soluble molecule that the body can easily expel.

Unfortunately, as we age, the body’s supply of glutathione will wane. And the use of substances like alcohol, drugs, and other compounds can further decrease your body's levels of glutathione.

Functions of glutathione:

Glutathione is an incredibly powerful antioxidant that is essential for nearly every bodily function, including:

• Improving immune function

• Detoxifying and fighting oxidative stress

• Preventing the side-effects of aging

• Promoting mental clarity

• Helping to fight off disease

• Brightening and lightening skin

• Promoting energy

• Inhibiting melanin production in cells (erasing hyperpigmentation)

• Helping your body to break down and purge fat

As you can see from the list above, having a sufficient supply of glutathione in your body is essential for optimal health, even beyond having a good immune system. A deficiency in glutathione can cause:

• Chronic fatigue

• Headaches

• Sleeping disturbances

• Frequent illness

• Weakness

• Painful joint

• Dizziness

There are also many chronic health conditions associated with consistently low levels of glutathione. These chronic conditions include:

• Autoimmune disorders

• Heart disease

• Skin disorders

• Fibromyalgia

How to boost levels of glutathione?

One of the most interesting things about glutathione is that our main source of the molecule is what we produce within our bodies. This is because, as a protein, glutathione is very hard to absorb efficiently from the foods you eat. The digestive system will break glutathione into its amino acid-base, where it cannot be used as an antioxidant or detoxification aid.

This is why an intravenous (IV) infusion of glutathione is the best way to boost your levels of glutathione. An IV treatment of the antioxidant will bypass the digestive tract altogether and deposit glutathione directly into your bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, glutathione can be transported throughout your entire body, from the brain to the heart to the lungs and muscle tissue. This helps every cell in the body benefit from glutathione’s detoxifying and protective properties.

Proven Benefits of a glutathione IV treatment:

As mentioned above, an IV infusion of glutathione will positively impact every cell in your body. But here are the proven benefits of a glutathione IV infusion:

1. Boost your immune system: Studies have proven that glutathione will boost your immune system, decrease oxidative stress, and protect against infection. Glutathione will assist your body in fighting off microbial, viral, and even parasitic infections. If you receive a glutathione infusion while you’re already sick with a cold or the flu, it will help reduce chest congestion.

2. Decrease inflammation: Low levels of glutathione encourages inflammation to persist in the body. This is because, without the antioxidant effects of glutathione, free radicals will congregate and damage regions of the body. But sufficient glutathione will break up this congregation of free radicals, also ridding your body of inflammation in the process.

3. Improve skin health: Research has demonstrated that glutathione can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while also improving overall skin elasticity. Beyond anti-aging, glutathione has been found to even skin tone by reducing dark spots, reduce blemishes, and diminish acne scars. Glutathione has also been found to have a positive impact on psoriasis.

4. Improve insulin resistance in older adults: As mentioned above, as you age, your body produces less glutathione. Researchers studying the effects of glutathione on weight management and insulin resistance found that low levels of glutathione were associated with less fat burning and higher rates of stored fat in the body. When participants were supplemented with glutathione, they found improved fat burning and insulin resistance.

5. Boost athletic ability: Glutathione has been found to improve athletic performance in several ways. The antioxidant decreases incidents of muscle damage while also boosting endurance and strength. Glutathione also encourages your body to create more muscle than fat and reduces recovery time.

Are there any side effects?

The vast majority of patients that receive glutathione IV treatments have no side effects at all. If you are breastfeeding or pregnant, it is recommended to check with your doctor prior to undergoing the treatment.

If you’re interested in receiving a glutathione IV treatment, click here to contact us to learn more!

We are currently only offering treatment in our Blacksburg location, but will soon begin to offer them at our Norfolk, Virginia Beach location as well!

The Johnson Center for Health services patients in-person in our Blacksburg and Virginia Beach / Norfolk locations. We also offer telemedicine for residents of Virginia and North Carolina!