Glutathione (GSH)

Jimmy Gutman MD, commenting on Glaucoma in his new book 'GSH, Your Bodies Most Powerful Protector', states:

"Glaucoma is a serious condition in which fluid pressure within the eye rises."

"Too much pressure compresses and obstructs the small vessels within the eye. This damages the surrounding areas, most importantly the optic nerve."

"Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of visual loss."

"The Russians A.I. Bunin, A.A. Filina and V.P. Erichev measured GSH levels in the eyes of hundreds of patients undergoing surgery for all sorts of reasons. The lowest GSH levels were found among cataracts patients and in patients with open angle glaucoma. They noticed this fall even at the earliest stages of the disease and suggested that reestablished glutathione levels would help prevent or delay this process."

The Role of GSH in Glaucoma

In a university study published in Free Radical Biology Medicine, in 2004, titled, 'Retinal oxidative stress induced by high intraocular pressure', researchers found retinal oxidative stress involved in glaucomatous cell death.

They found GSH levels significantly decreased at 6 weeks of treatment with hyaluronic acid.

They concluded, "Thus, manipulation of intracellular redox status using antioxidants may be a new therapeutic tool to prevent glaucomatous neurodegeneration."

Secondary Glaucoma can occur as the result of an eye injury, inflammation, tumor or in advanced cases of cataracts or diabetes. It can also be caused by certain drugs such as steroids.

These are all areas where high levels of free radical stressors are involved.

Fighting oxidative damage, high GSH levels may help prevent the following complications of Glaucoma:

• Reduced vision
• Blindness
• Side effects of medications

Elevated GSH levels may help by:

• providing Immune System support against infection
• slowing the progression of the disease

Anti-Inflammatory Effect

Inflammation is in itself, an indication of a high degree of oxidative damage.

Samples of inflamed tissue show consistent evidence of severe oxidative stress, where the degree of oxidative damage has been correlated to the degree of inflammation.

Australian researcher G.D. Buffington studying inflamed tissue noted the significant depletion of Glutathione within the tissue. ²⁴

Of all the antioxidants that can prevent or retard the pain response, GSH has been identified as the central one.

Evidence demonstrating the importance of combating oxidative stress with optimal GSH levels, for an anti-inflammatory effect is consistent.^{2, 10}

Read about Oxidative Stress

Raising GSH Levels

Raising the level of GSH within each cell of your body is a safe method for patients with glaucoma to prevent the recently identified source of disease and inflammation – oxidative free radicals.

The simple act of raising and sustaining your own cellular protective forces – is destined to change the paradigm in the medical community, which it already has in scientific circles.

As the result of many decades of research focused on how to modulate the immune system – there are now several manufacturers both in the USA and Canada providing proteins high in undenatured cysteine that are biologically similar to the cysteine found in mother's milk.

As a patient with glaucoma, we urge you to investigate the benefits of protecting each cell in your body – simply by adding these GSH precursors to you diet.

Fig 1: Source - FDA website

The FDA published a slide (Fig 1) showing some areas of how GSH is lowered.

It was found the decline in GSH levels begins to rapidly occur at age forty in the average population.²⁴ (see chart below)

Fig 2: Source - Cellular Health Foundation

Clinical studies have proven that immune depressed individuals have lower GSH concentrations.

The blood and tissues of people with Glaucoma are marked by critically low GSH levels.

Research trials have revealed a correspondence between low GSH levels and higher complications.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione (pronounced "gloota thigh own"), or GSH, a small protein, is an essential component of our immune system.

It is produced naturally by cells throughout our body, and plays a vital role in Glaucoma as:

• A cell's most important Antioxidant
• An Immune System component
• A Detoxifying agent in our body

GSH has now been found to be the cornerstone of the body's anti-oxidant defense team. ^1,2,9,12,14

Research now demonstrates the correlation between a precipitous fall in this unique molecule – and diseases including glaucoma.

You've probably never heard of it because in supplement form it is useless to take.

Yet, almost half of the ‘baby boomer' generation - individuals over 50 - are deficient in this molecule, leading to greater susceptibility to all kinds of disease.²⁰

The FDA has published a list of everyday agents such as vigorous exercise, smoking, UV radiation, and coffee, which actually work to deplete this vital ‘protector' from our bodies.

Clinical studies show that if you provide your body with ‘specific building blocks', it will make a constant supply of this precious molecule for you. ^2,3,4,9,14

Critical Element Missing

Glutathione must be made, or synthesized within the cell because GSH cannot be transported into cells in a supplement or ‘pill' form. ¹

Each cell requires the three ‘building blocks' or pre-cursors to enable the process to proceed. If only two of the three building blocks are present – the building does not proceed – no matter how great the need for GSH.

Two of the three, amino acids: glutamic acid and glycine are readily available in our diet.

Sadly, it is the availability of the third amino acid, cysteine – that limits the production of GSH.

This is because cysteine, although plentiful in raw milk and fresh eggs, is ‘de-natured' in pasteurization and cooking.

In being denatured, any cysteine we receive in our diet is no longer biologically alive for the purposes of an effective ‘building block'.

We have been unable to provide an un-denatured building block to our diets.

Why aren't we replacing GSH in our diet, especially considering it's a naturally occurring protein in each cell – giving us such fundamental protective value?

Summary

Glutathione is the key protective molecule of your immune system.

For your cells to make GSH they require a regular source of natural cysteine.

The Foundation has identified several resources that are FDA recognized as food supplements to raise GSH levels. No prescriptions are necessary. Some are listed in the 2005 Physicians Desk Reference (PDR).

Click for PDR extract

One such natural supplement is now classified as a Nutraceutical and meets the criteria for Medicare / Medicaid reimbursement.

Although Medicare / Medicaid do not cover oral supplements, coverage is applicable for intravenous tube feeding in hospitals.

For 25 years hospital ER's have been injecting N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), a synthetic form of cysteine, to quickly raise the GSH levels of a patient to temporarily boost the immune system.

Previous generations were not aware that our cells had such protective power.

Now, individually, we have been given the ability to give our cells the ‘building blocks' they need.

Because of the research and scientific validation, we believe raising GSH levels – both naturally and even by synthetic means - will have major positive consequences for patients with glaucoma.

The physician of the future will ask, “Let's take your blood pressure and check your glutathione levels”.

Its adoption as standard healthcare practice is on the horizon.

We urge you to speak to your physician about raising your GSH level – in every cell of your body.

Click here for References in the above article