Glutathione-Why You and Your Dog Need It

As disease rates soar, and people as well as pets are facing record levels of illness, wouldn’t it be great if there was some magic solution or pill to help us get back to enjoying vibrant health?  If it was in the form of a medication, wouldn’t it be great if there were no side effects?

Obviously, there is no such magic medication. Perhaps such a magic thing actually exists in our body. Some people don’t realize it, our body is a magnificent, self-healing creation.  If you give it nature’s vitamins, you and your pet can get well.

Inside our cells is the key to lifelong health and healing power that exceeds any manmade medicine on earth.  It is a natural powerhouse molecule called glutathione.  It is recognized as the most important antioxidant because it is within each cell in our body.

Glutathione – The Master Antioxidant

Our body makes antioxidants to protect our cells from oxidative stress.  Glutathione is the most powerful and most potent antioxidant produced in the cells of our body.  Often called the “Master Antioxidant”, it also boosts the utilization and recycling of other antioxidants, like vitamins C and E for example.

Glutathione is our most important cellular defense that fights and prevents infections and disease.  Every single cell in our body produces glutathione from the amino acids cysteine, glutamine and glycine.  When the levels drop, the cell dies.  Glutathione levels can be reduced by a number of factors including:

• Poor nutrition
• Genetically modified foods
• Environmental toxins
• Overuse of antibiotics
• Infections
• Injuries
• Stress
• Aging

Glutathione is pivotal to our health because it plays several vital roles in the body.  Some researchers believe that the level of glutathione in our cells is becoming a predictor of how long we will live.

When I was in treatment for my auto-immune condition, it was also determined with DNA testing that my glutathione production is only functioning 50% of normal due to genetic variation. The following is straight from my DNA report:

Glutathione is the master antioxidant that clears dangerous toxins from the body and supports the immune system and the liver.  Glutathione takes hydrogen peroxide made from SOD and turns it into O2, which is oxygen.  Studies have shown that individuals who live the longest have higher amounts of glutathione.

The Effects of Oxidative Stress

Oxidation is a normal process in the body that happens when food is metabolized to make energy.  It happens when the liver processes toxins, pesticides, pollutants, metals and medications.

Oxidative stress increases when we there is an injury, an infection, or inflammation from food sensitivities or leaky gut.  Once inflammation and oxidative stress start building up and deplete antioxidants like glutathione, it can cause damage to our cells.

We do not want this to happen because cell damage can lead to many health conditions, serious disease and cancer.  What we need to do is raise our cells’ glutathione levels to increase that powerful resistance against toxins, painful inflammation, digestive issues, skin issues, mobility issues, macular degeneration, heart disease, cancer – virtually all the illnesses we fear today.

Oxidative stress itself can actually increase inflammation.  When people as well as dogs have too much oxidative stress and not enough antioxidants in our bodies to counteract it, we get into a vicious cycle of oxidative stress, inflammation, and ill-health.

Supplements to Boost Glutathione

Glutathione

I am taking a glutathione supplement upon recommendation from my healthcare practitioner.  In my own research, I found that glutathione itself is not well absorbed from the digestive system and that even the highest quality products are continuously working on improving absorption.  This was confirmed when the company’s product I was taking in capsule form came out with a liquid form.  This liquid form supposedly offers increased absorption to assist with getting the glutathione across the intestinal lining into the blood and cells.

Since I have a genetic defect, I will continue to take the supplement, but I am not counting on it being fully effective.  I am also boosting my glutathione level with diet, vegetables specifically, because I believe that to be more effective than a supplement.

Glutathione “Precursor” Supplements

There are a few supplements that are precursor nutrients the body needs in order to make glutathione.  All of these nutrients can be obtained from diet, but if you prefer to take them in the form of a supplement, here they are:

• NAC (N-acetylcysteine)
• Glycine
• Glutamine
• Alpha Lipoic acid (ALA)

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important because it protects glutathione from being oxidized.

Boost Antioxidants with Diet

If you suspect that you or your dog are stuck in this vicious cycle of oxidative stress, inflammation, and ill-health, or want to prevent this from happening, you can make some changes to both of your diets to increase antioxidants and decrease inflammation.

• Eat whole foods.  As much as you can, switch your and your dog’s diet from processed foods to real, whole foods.
• Eat more vegetables and fruits.  You should consume a few servings of vegetables and half that amount of fruit servings each day.  Choose vegetables and fruits that are high in antioxidants.  Add a small amount of vegetables and even smaller amount of fruits to your dog’s daily meals.  Keep in mind that dog’s cannot properly digest raw vegetables.  Add highly digestible vegetables prepared especially for dogs such as Olewo Carrots for Dogs and Olewo Red Beets.  Carrots and Red Beets are two of the most nutrient-rich root vegetables with powerful antioxidants.
• Buy organic as much as you can because you don’t want pesticides to use up all those antioxidants before your cells had a chance to benefit from them.
• Stock up on antioxidant-rich treats for yourself and your dog.  That doesn’t mean you won’t get anything tasty to eat.  There are plenty of natural and healthy choices for you and your dog to munch on that are tasty.
• Eat more healthy fats.  Incorporate a variety of healthy fats in your and your dog’s diet because they can actually decrease inflammation and protect cells from oxidative stress.  You can indulge on avocados, nuts and seeds.  Both, you and your dog, can benefit from the healthy fat in fish and healthy oils like flaxseed oil, coconut oil, and olive oil.

Plant Foods to Boost Glutathione Level

Plants do the same thing as our bodies.  They make antioxidants, especially when they are under environmental stress.  When we eat plant foods, we benefit from those very same antioxidants.

Plant foods naturally rich in Glutathione

Spinach, avocados, asparagus and okra are naturally rich in glutathione,  However, dietary glutathione is poorly absorbed by the human body.  In addition, storage conditions and cooking can decrease the amount of glutathione found in these plant foods.

Sulfur-containing Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale are known to help boost glutathione levels because they are rich in sulfur.  Garlic, shallots and onions are also rich in sulfur-containing compounds.  Sulfur is one of the minerals important for producing glutathione.

I like eating some steamed broccoli, but generally I avoid cruciferous vegetables because I have Hashimoto, a thyroid auto-immune disorder.  Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds that reduce thyroid function by blocking the activity of thyroid peroxidase.  If you think you or your dog are suffering from a thyroid problem, don’t pile up on these vegetables.

Phytonutrients-containing Red Beets

For me and my dogs, red beets are the go-to vegetable for increasing glutathione levels because we can get all the necessary nutrients from one single source.  In my opinion, nothing beats beets!

• Red Beets are not only rich in antioxidants, but they contain a unique combination of many powerful antioxidants.  For that reason, the red beet is recognized as a standout vegetable in the area of antioxidant support.
• Red beets contain the phytonutrients betanin and vulgaxanthin that increase the body’s production of glutathione.
• In addition, red beets have secondary antioxidants, as well as important minerals and vitamins that increase the protective effect even further.
• Glutathione is primarily made up of 3 amino acids cysteine, lysine and glutamine – red beets contain all three.

How I consume my Daily Red Beets

One thing I want to mention upfront, this really works, but you have to be diligent an do it every day.  This goes for you as well as for your dogs.

I know what you’re thinking next.  This is going to be messy and you don’t want to deal with it – and you don’t like beets anyways.  I have heard it so many times that people don’t like the taste of beets.  True, they have an earthy flavor that doesn’t appeal to everyone.

I consume one medium red beet each day in the form of a smoothie that is quick and easy to prepare and is absolutely delicious!

My Smoothie Recipe

Add the following to a VitaMix or other blender:

• 1 Medium Red Beet chopped into big chunks
• 1 Slice of Pineapple
• Approx. 1 cup of pure Carrot Juice (I use the one from Lakewood Organic)
• A handful of ice cubes
• Blend everything until smooth and fill in a glass
• Top off with some Kombucha!

The pineapple covers up the earthy flavor of the beets and they contain digestive enzymes.  The reason I use carrot juice instead of actual carrots is because I learned from Olewo how fast the nutrients, especially the beta-carotene, diminish after harvest.  By the time fresh carrots make it to the grocery store, they have already lost much of the valuable nutrients.  The time between harvest and production at a company that produces carrot juice is much shorter, and I feel that I end up getting more nutrients from carrot juice.  I am not worried about loosing the fiber from the carrots, because there is plenty of fiber in my smoothy from the red beets.

Topping off my smoothie with some Kombucha not only adds electrolytes, enzymes and probiotics, but it really gives it that extra zing!  How can you not like this?  It really takes minimum time and effort to prepare this.  I usually make a double portion so one is ready to go for the next day.

With this daily smoothie I am not only replenishing my cells with glutathione, but I am nourishing every organ in my body because the health benefits of red beets are endless.

How My Dogs consume their Daily Beets

Well, that is even easier and quicker thanks to Olewo making dehydrated red beets especially for dogs.  Dogs cannot properly digest raw vegetables because they don’t produce enough of the enzyme amylase to break down the cell walls.  Therefore, they won’t be able to absorb the nutrients to benefit their health.

Olewo Red Beets for Dogs are easy to digest so they can absorb, assimilate and utilize the nutrients to benefit their health.  With a  daily dose of Olewo Red Beets, our dogs can reap the same health benefits just like people can.