Glutathione & diseases

The human body has developed strong antioxidant mechanisms, involved in the neutralization of the excess of free radicals and in the maintenance of redox balance. Among them, the reduced form of glutathione (GSH) is the most powerful endogenous antioxidant, present both in blood and in various tissues. GSH contributes directly and indirectly to the neutralization of free radicals and it is considered a necessary factor for the maintenance of redox homeostasis, protecting the human body from the induction of oxidative stress.

In recent years, an ever-increasing number of research studies demonstrate that many pathological conditions are the result of disturbances of redox equilibrium. More specifically, data from scientific literature indicate that GSH levels decrease significantly during the progression of heart disease from asymptomatic to failure. Therefore, they can be used to monitor the stages of heart disease, acting as an indicator of prevention and an early treatment of possible heart failure.

Furthermore, GSH levels play an important role in digestive health, while in the case of autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s syndrome, reduced GSH levels are also observed. It is worth noting that reduced GSH levels are also observed in the case of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Contrariwise, in colon cancer, GSH levels are increased in some cases and decreased in others, which indicates the different response to the disease. Based on the above, the determination of GSH levels is particularly important to FoodOxys’ personalized nutritional approach. More specifically, each person responds differently to a regimen of administered foods, depending on blood GSH levels. Its physiological concentration is largely regulated by dietary intervention and exercise and is therefore an important issue of FoodOxys’ interests.