Researchers have noticed that patients with severe or fatal covid-19 are usually deficient in the amino acid and powerferful antioxidant, glutathione.
In fact, some researchers feel that glutathione deficiency may be the Trojan horse of covid-19-related death.1
Mother of all Antioxidants
We’ve described this powerful antioxidant in past newsletters as the “mother of all antioxidants” because it can neutralize the full range of free radicals.
Your body is able to produce glutathione (GSH), but age and/or a poor diet decrease glutathione levels. GSH is concentrated in the brain, supports the immune system, the visual system, detoxifies — but production declines as we age and/or in the face of poor diet, environmental toxins, stress, trauma, some medications, infections, etc.
Covid – Glutathione Connection
Researcher Alexey Polonikov hypothesizes that glutathione deficiency is the most plausible explanation for serious manifestation and death in COVID-19.2
The common factor in all covid-related cases is the inability to modulate free radical accumulation. Low levels of glutathione could be a major cause of the excessive inflammatory response in severe covid-19.3 Glutathione imparts a protective role and researchers suggest that restoring GSH levels protects the most vulnerable patients from severe disease.4
A side note: Researchers recommend acetaminophen rather than NSAIDs for covid because NSAIDS deplete glutathione.5
Glutathione Therapy
Based on the ability of glutathione to inhibit viral replication and decrease levels of free radicals, as well as benefits to other respiratory functions, some researchers believe that GHS presents a beneficial therapy.6 Although most GHS research is still in clinical trials, there has been at least one published case study of its efficacy. Two patients (with a history of tick-borne illness) with a cough and difficulty breathing were given 2g of oral or IV glutathione. Both had improved breathing within one hour. Repeated use of 2000mg of GSH was effective in relieving further breathing problems.7
Recommendations
Supplement: We recommend the oral spray form of glutathione for its excellent absorption capacity. It is available in 2oz or 4oz oral spray options.
Exercise: Don’t forget that regular exercise is essential for a strong immune system.
Diet: Make sure your diet includes lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, and that you avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, etc.
If you’d like to follow the status of ongoing research into GSH use with respect to covid, you can read about clinical trials and/or review published research at the National Institutes of Health.8
Further info on glutathione, “the mother of antioxidants.”
Footnotes
- Khanfar A, Qaroot BA. (2020). Could glutathione depletion be the Trojan horse of COVID-19 mortality? Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. Dec;24(23):12500-12509. ↩
- Polonikov A. (2020). Endogenous Deficiency of Glutathione as the Most Likely Cause of Serious Manifestations and Death in COVID-19 Patients. ACS Infect Dis. Jul 10;6(7):1558-1562. ↩
- Silvagno F, Vernone A, Pescarmona GP. (2020). The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Jul; 9(7): 624. ↩
- Ibid. Silvagno. (2020). ↩
- Sestili P. Fimognari C. (2020). Paracetamol-Induced Glutathione Consumption: Is There a Link With Severe COVID-19 Illness? Front Pharmacol. Oct 7;11:579944. ↩
- Guloyan V, Oganesian B, Baghdasaryan N, Yeh C, Singh M. (2020). Glutathione Supplementation as an Adjunctive Therapy in COVID-19. Antioxidants (Basel). Sep 25;9(10):914. ↩
- Horowitz RI, Freeman PR, Bruzzese J. (2020). Efficacy of glutathione therapy in relieving dyspnea associated with COVID-19 pneumonia: A report of 2 cases. Respir Med Case Rep. Apr 21;30:101063. ↩
- Note. Remember that the fact that research has been published is not proof that the research is accurate. There needs to be concurrence among researcher and the research itself needs to be of a large-enough sample size, be randomized, blind-controlled, etc. Of course, in the case of new diseases like covid and new therapies, it may be difficult to meet these criteria quickly. ↩
