Glutathione is a tripeptide composed of the amino acids cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid, which is produced within the body. Glutathione is a potent antioxidant and binds to (conjugates) and removes toxins, including heavy metals, from the body.
Without adequate amounts of glutathione the body is susceptible to damage and dysfunction caused by toxins and free radicals. Low glutathione levels have been found in numerous studies in people with environmental illnesses including chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), and autism.
Unfortunately glutathione is destroyed during the digestive process if taken orally so the only way to get glutathione into the blood and cells where it is needed has been by cumbersome methods such as intravenous infusion, transdermal patches, and nasal sprays available only from compounding pharmacies. Recently liposomal, or lipoceutical, glutathione has been developed which may provide a means to deliver absorbable glutathione in an oral form.
In liposomal glutathione, the glutathione molecules are encapsulated in nanosize spheres of fatty substances such as phospholipids, referred to as liposomes. These liposomes are highly absorbable via the body's fat absorption mechanisms in the small intestine. As they are absorbed the liposomes take the glutathione with them and this is released within the body - so in theory this delivery method greatly enhances the amount of glutathione that reaches the bloodstream and the cells, compared to other oral glutathione preparations.
