Common Sources of Glutathione in Food - Glutone India

Glutathione (gloo-tah-thy-ohn) is an amino acid compound that occurs naturally in cells throughout the body. Cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine are the three amino acids that make it up. Glutathione acts as an antioxidant, preventing and delaying cell damage; as well as detoxifying chemicals in the liver, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. According to an article published in May 2013 in the journal Biochemical et Biophysical Acta, it is also important for the health of the immune system and the regulation of cell growth and death. The amino acid compound also has the ability to bind to drugs, says the National Center for Biotechnology Information, so they can be released from the body more easily. However, glutathione levels in the body appear to decline with age, experts say.

Common Sources of Glutathione in Food:

Glutathione or its building blocks can be found in meat and dairy products, as well as in many vegetables. Michelle Miller, a clinical nutritionist at Physio Logic in Brooklyn, New York, says that if you want to increase glutathione levels in your body, you want to choose foods high in precursor nutrients that help create it. such as N-acetylcysteine, a sulfur amino acid. “When we talk about food sources, we talk about cruciferous vegetables or sulfur-rich foods like garlic or onions. They have many building blocks.” 

• Broccoli

•  cauliflower

•  cabbage 

• sprouts 

These are examples of cruciferous vegetables. Foods high in glutathione or its precursors include asparagus, potatoes, peppers, carrots, avocados, squash, spinach and melons.