There is a Plethora of a claims on what glutathione can do to the body. Foremost are its antioxidant properties. A buzzword that has been used to tout everything from food to cosmetics, antioxidants are basically substances that counteract oxidation or ''rusting'' of the body.
A sampling of a few websites shows that glutathione seems to be a wonder substance, with the ability to ''increase energy, improve concentration, slow aging, and protect the skin,'' and even appearing to'' protect against cancer, heart disease, premature aging, autoimmune diseases and chronic illnesses.''
Locally, however, it is glutathione's apparent ''side-effect'' of making skin whiter or fairer that has catapulted it into almost superstar fame.
Glutathione, it is claimed, helps remove toxins that darken the skin. Renowned toxicologist Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go explains that glutathione is a substance that is actually produced in the human liver and plays a role in our bodies' metabolism. ''It's found in the kidneys and liver. It helps in detoxifying certain substances from our bodies,'' he says.
Medically, glutathione is sometimes used as a treatment for poisoning and certain drug overdoses. To the possible dismay of glutathione's many fans, he then announces, ''Beyond that, glutathione pills do not helps as they claim to do.''
He explains that while the body produces glutathione on its own, it cannot absorb glutathione that is ingested.'' Patients who need glutathione are actually given N-acetyl-cystein, a substance that is transformed into glutathione by the body,'' he says. ''Think about it, what is the point of taking a substance that your body cannot absorb? This is most probably why there are no studies to show the dangers of overdosing on glutathione, because you can't absorb in the first place if you take it orally.''
''In general, so-called 'nutriceuticals' or nutritional supplements' really have no benefits, even if you take them in large doses,''Hartigan-Go says. ''While experiments show that vitamins or other substances may have beneficial properties, these experiments are all done in laboratories, in test tubes, in petri dishes. Who is to say that these interactions that are done outside of the human body will have the same effect once inside the body?''
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