Glutathione
Endogenous tripeptide antioxidant (glutamate-cysteine-glycine)
- Class
- Master antioxidant
- Half-life
- Minutes (plasma)
- Route
- Oral
- Cadence
- Daily
- Evidence
- Mixed / early human
Overview
Glutathione is your body's most abundant intracellular antioxidant — present in nearly every cell at millimolar concentrations, roughly the same as glucose or potassium. It's a tripeptide made of three amino acids (glutamate, cysteine, glycine) that protects cells from oxidative damage, helps detoxify metabolic waste and environmental toxins, and plays a role in immune regulation. Your liver synthesizes it constantly, but production drops with age, illness, and oxidative stress — which is why people supplement.
The catch is bioavailability. Plain oral glutathione has historically been dismissed because it gets cleaved by gut enzymes before it reaches your bloodstream. Recent human trials show that newer delivery methods — liposomal formulations, micelles, or slow-release buccal tablets — can raise blood glutathione levels modestly, though results vary widely between studies and formulations. The alternative approach is to supplement with precursor amino acids (N-acetylcysteine, glycine, cysteine) and let your body build its own glutathione; this works reliably but depends on your liver's capacity to synthesize.
Most of the clinical interest centers on oxidative-stress diseases: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type-2 diabetes, neurodegenerative conditions, and aging itself. Small human trials in NAFLD and T2D have shown improvements in liver enzymes and oxidative-stress markers, but sample sizes are tiny (under 50 participants in most cases) and protocols inconsistent. The evidence isn't strong enough yet to call glutathione a proven therapeutic, but it's also not dismissible — it's a real molecule with real biology, just under-studied in humans.
Safety considerations
A few of the safety signals worth knowing — the full list, with dosing context and what to monitor, is inside AIx Core.
- Generally well-tolerated in clinical trials at oral doses up to 1000 mg/day for months. No serious adverse events reported in the published human RCTs.
- Oral glutathione may cause mild GI upset (bloating, gas) in some users, especially at higher doses or with poor-quality formulations.
- Topical and IV glutathione have been used off-label for skin lightening (inhibits tyrosinase, reduces melanin production) — this is ethically contentious and not FDA-approved. Prolonged high-dose use for cosmetic purposes carries unknown long-term risks.
+ 3 more safety notes inside AIx Core →
Commonly monitored
Markers and signals people track when researching Glutathione.
- Whole-blood glutathione levels (if available — specialty lab)
- Liver function panel (ALT, AST, GGT) — glutathione's main clinical use is hepatic oxidative stress
- Oxidative stress markers: 8-OHdG, MDA (malondialdehyde) if accessible
- Subjective energy, mental clarity (commonly reported, hard to quantify)
- HbA1c if using for metabolic/diabetes context
- Skin appearance if using topically (melanin modulation, controversial skin-lightening effect)
Frequently asked questions
What is Glutathione?
Endogenous tripeptide antioxidant (glutamate-cysteine-glycine). Glutathione is your body's most abundant intracellular antioxidant — present in nearly every cell at millimolar concentrations, roughly the same as glucose or potassium. It's a tripeptide made of three amino acids (glutamate, cysteine, glycine) that protects cells from oxidative damage, helps detoxify metabolic waste and environmental toxins, and plays a role in immune regulation. Your liver synthesizes it constantly, but production drops with age, illness, and oxidative stress — which is why people supplement.
How is Glutathione administered?
Oral, typically daily.
What is the half-life of Glutathione?
Minutes (plasma) — Rapidly cleared from blood; intracellular stores turn over slowly.
Is Glutathione approved for human use?
Glutathione is investigational — not approved by the FDA, EMA, or MHRA for human use at the time of writing.
What does the evidence show for Glutathione?
Evidence tier: Mixed / early human. Solnier et al. 2026 (n=14, crossover RCT): Micellar glutathione (LipoMicel, 300 mg single dose) achieved significantly higher whole-blood GSH AUC than standard 500 mg glutathione or liposomal 300 mg. 30-day daily dosing was well-tolerated with no hepatic or renal function changes.
What is commonly monitored when researching Glutathione?
Commonly tracked markers + signals: Whole-blood glutathione levels (if available — specialty lab), Liver function panel (ALT, AST, GGT) — glutathione's main clinical use is hepatic oxidative stress, Oxidative stress markers: 8-OHdG, MDA (malondialdehyde) if accessible, Subjective energy, mental clarity (commonly reported, hard to quantify), HbA1c if using for metabolic/diabetes context, Skin appearance if using topically (melanin modulation, controversial skin-lightening effect).
Related compounds
Open this in AIx Core for the full picture
Mechanism breakdown, receptor pathway diagram, full safety list, monitored items, source citations, and one-tap add-to-protocol. Free with any account.