What is glutathione and what is its effectiveness with vitamin C?

What is glutathione and what is its effectiveness with vitamin C?

Vitamin C is well known for its antioxidant properties and is often cited as an important tool for combating oxidative stress in the body (particularly when it comes to skin care). But there is another powerful antioxidant, whose effectiveness is maximized in the body thanks to vitamin C and vice versa), namely the main antioxidant glutathione, according to Mind Your Body Green.

Glutathione may not be as popular as vitamin C, experts say, and research findings suggest that it plays an important (in fact crucial) role in fueling the antioxidant pathways in the human body. In fact, glutathione is found in nearly every cell in the body and is important for detoxifying chemicals, pollutants, and other stressors and modern toxins.

And while both vitamin C and glutathione are dynamic in their own right, the duo becomes even more powerful in terms of antioxidant activity when they work together.

The importance of glutathione

Glutathione and its precursor, N-acetylcysteine ​​(NAC), "support the body's detoxification processes and protect against the effects of environmental pollutants and oxidative stress," says holistic nutritionist Ella Davar.

Glutathione plays two major roles in the body, explains Professor Alexander Michaels, Clinical Research Coordinator at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. “It is an antioxidant and a central part of the body's detoxification mechanisms, so it is essential to maintain the body's defense against free radicals and types of toxins. certain toxins.

Michaels adds that "there are a lot of free radicals and detoxifiers in the body, but glutathione maintains a state of balance and is easily regenerated in the body." But there are many factors that can affect the body's ability to produce glutathione, including diet, lifestyle habits and even age.

Vitamin C and glutathione levels

Vitamin C can help promote healthy glutathione levels in white blood cells while supporting the overall activity of key antioxidants, says Keri Ganz, RD, author of The Small Change Diet.

Michaels says that since vitamin C and glutathione are both antioxidants, they help remove some of the same free radicals from the body. When adequate amounts of vitamin C are ingested, the body takes some of the stress off glutathione, allowing glutathione to help with other functions, such as supporting natural detoxification pathways.

“Vitamin C and glutathione ultimately work together in the body’s antioxidant network, along with vitamin E, forming a more effective antioxidant barrier than either of them alone,” Michaels explains.