By Olga Klein

 

We all strive to improve our health in order to live fuller and more active lives. To achieve the best results it is important to understand what immune system feeds on and how small changes in everyday habits could make a difference in our immune health.

At the heart of proper immune function lies a small protein molecule called glutathione (or GSH). It is produced by the body itself in each and every cell and is responsible for many vital functions:

 

Glutathione is rapidly consumed on a daily basis through normal metabolism and/or illness. Levels of this all-important molecule are also depleted by poor diet, pollution, exposure to heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, etc., by use of medications, alcohol, tobacco smoke, x-ray radiation, stress, insomnia, injury, trauma, burns, strenuous physical exercise, and infections. Natural decline of glutathione levels starts at the age of 30-35.

 

Glutathione cannot enter most cells directly and therefore must be produced within the cell from its three constituent amino acids: glycine, glutamate and cysteine. They are also called glutathione precursors. Oral glutathione in pill form is not absorbed but eliminated by the liver before it reaches the bloodstream. Injectable glutathione is degraded by the time it reaches the cell and most of it cannot effectively pass through the cell membrane. NAC (N Acetyl L-Cysteine) has not proven very effective in treatment of chronic long-term glutathione deficiencies.

 

The solution is if you provide the body with sufficient amount of glutathione precursors, or building blocks, your body’s production of glutathione will increase. Glycine and glutamate are readily available in sufficient quantities from many foods: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, and quinoa. The rate at which glutathione can be made depends on the availability of cysteine, the component that gives the whole glutathione molecule its bioactivity. Cysteine, however, remains a limiting factor in glutathione production because it is very scarce in food and rarely reaches the cells in unaltered form.

 

As a supplement cysteine in pill form can become toxic when it is oxidized in bloodstream and can promote hypercysteinemia. Cysteine is most abundant in milk, cheeses, yogurt and other dairy products, and in the form that can reach the cells safely. But sadly, in our time in history, all dairy is pasteurized at temperatures that destroy this delicate amino acid before it is able to reach the cell and participate in glutathione production. The solution is to find a raw dairy farm and include unpasteurized dairy into your diet (for more information on where to find raw milk in your area go to http://www.realmilk.com/where.html) or include undenatured whey protein into your diet which is a source of cysteine that is clinically proven to increase and maintain glutathione levels. “Undenatured” means that it is bioactive and not damaged or altered by heat or mechanical stress. Most whey proteins on the market are denatured and are only good as a source of easily digestible protein and a supplement in bodybuilding.

 

Other nutrients that help in glutathione production and are called glutathione cofactors are vitamins C and E, B vitamins, folate (folic acid), minerals selenium, magnesium and zinc, alpha-lipoic acid  (or lipoic acid, produced by the body itself though available as a supplement as well). So it is important to eat a variety of foods containing these cofactors of glutathione production: alfalfa, almonds, walnuts, beans, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame), natural raw wheat germ, all berries, citrus fruits, broccoli, fresh parsley and spinach.

 

In addition to glutathione you body’s defense system depends greatly on the availability of vitamin D produced in the skin after sun exposure. Vitamin D then changes into a hormone responsible for many processes including your immune system’s proper functioning. Recent scientific research has linked vitamin D deficiency with many diseases including cancers, heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes, neonatal disorders, mental and behavioral problems, learning disorders, skin conditions. Sun scare and resulting overuse of chemical sunscreens combined with mostly indoor lifestyle result in many people being vitamin D deficient without even knowing it. Vitamin D is scare in foods (eggs, fatty fish, and fortified foods), so this source cannot contribute to elevating and maintaining proper vitamin D levels. Current recommended daily amount of 400 IU is very low and does not impact vitamin D levels. Studies indicating the benefits of adequate vitamin D levels used 1,100 IU or more daily in supplement form. As a comparison, bare skin of the whole body produces 10,000-15,000 IU within 20-30 minutes of midday sun exposure, depending on person’s age and skin color (the darker the skin and the older the person, the more time it takes to produce vitamin D). More up to date information and scientific research on the topic are available at www.vitaminDcouncil.org

 

For the immune system to remain strong it is not enough only to supply it with “fuel” but it is equally important to limit exposure to substances that drain it and reduce glutathione production because the more chemicals and toxins glutathione has to eliminate from our bodies, the less can be spared for other important functions, such as DNA repair and energy metabolism. Try to bring down to a minimum, or better - completely eliminate from your diet the following foods and food ingredients: processed meats (hotdogs, sausages, ham, bologna), canned food, bleached white flour, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar, aspartame, sucralose, artificial food dyes, artificial flavorings, emulsifier PGPR, mono- and di-glycerides (forms of trans fats), potassium chloride, preservatives (TBHQ, BHT, BHA, sulfur, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium benzoate etc.) to name just a few. All these are listed on the ingredient lists of packaged food. The key is to start reading labels, every time you pick up an item from the store shelf.

 

The path to better immune health may sound overwhelming, but it can be achieved one step at a time through better  food choices, through better lifestyle choices, through educating yourself further about what makes your immune system work, and what foods help boost your immune health, and through enlisting the help of your loved ones, your friends, and your church family.

 

For more information on the topic of glutathione and immune health visit our web-site at www.ImmuneHealthScience.com

 

By Olga Klein

 

We all strive to improve our health in order to live fuller and more active lives. To achieve the best results it is important to understand what immune system feeds on and how small changes in everyday habits could make a difference in our immune health.

At the heart of proper immune function lies a small protein molecule called glutathione (or GSH). It is produced by the body itself in each and every cell and is responsible for many vital functions:

 

Glutathione is rapidly consumed on a daily basis through normal metabolism and/or illness. Levels of this all-important molecule are also depleted by poor diet, pollution, exposure to heavy metals, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, etc., by use of medications, alcohol, tobacco smoke, x-ray radiation, stress, insomnia, injury, trauma, burns, strenuous physical exercise, and infections. Natural decline of glutathione levels starts at the age of 30-35.

 

Glutathione cannot enter most cells directly and therefore must be produced within the cell from its three constituent amino acids: glycine, glutamate and cysteine. They are also called glutathione precursors. Oral glutathione in pill form is not absorbed but eliminated by the liver before it reaches the bloodstream. Injectable glutathione is degraded by the time it reaches the cell and most of it cannot effectively pass through the cell membrane. NAC (N Acetyl L-Cysteine) has not proven very effective in treatment of chronic long-term glutathione deficiencies.

 

The solution is if you provide the body with sufficient amount of glutathione precursors, or building blocks, your body’s production of glutathione will increase. Glycine and glutamate are readily available in sufficient quantities from many foods: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, and quinoa. The rate at which glutathione can be made depends on the availability of cysteine, the component that gives the whole glutathione molecule its bioactivity. Cysteine, however, remains a limiting factor in glutathione production because it is very scarce in food and rarely reaches the cells in unaltered form.

 

As a supplement cysteine in pill form can become toxic when it is oxidized in bloodstream and can promote hypercysteinemia. Cysteine is most abundant in milk, cheeses, yogurt and other dairy products, and in the form that can reach the cells safely. But sadly, in our time in history, all dairy is pasteurized at temperatures that destroy this delicate amino acid before it is able to reach the cell and participate in glutathione production. The solution is to find a raw dairy farm and include unpasteurized dairy into your diet (for more information on where to find raw milk in your area go to http://www.realmilk.com/where.html) or include undenatured whey protein into your diet which is a source of cysteine that is clinically proven to increase and maintain glutathione levels. “Undenatured” means that it is bioactive and not damaged or altered by heat or mechanical stress. Most whey proteins on the market are denatured and are only good as a source of easily digestible protein and a supplement in bodybuilding.

 

Other nutrients that help in glutathione production and are called glutathione cofactors are vitamins C and E, B vitamins, folate (folic acid), minerals selenium, magnesium and zinc, alpha-lipoic acid  (or lipoic acid, produced by the body itself though available as a supplement as well). So it is important to eat a variety of foods containing these cofactors of glutathione production: alfalfa, almonds, walnuts, beans, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame), natural raw wheat germ, all berries, citrus fruits, broccoli, fresh parsley and spinach.

 

In addition to glutathione you body’s defense system depends greatly on the availability of vitamin D produced in the skin after sun exposure. Vitamin D then changes into a hormone responsible for many processes including your immune system’s proper functioning. Recent scientific research has linked vitamin D deficiency with many diseases including cancers, heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes, neonatal disorders, mental and behavioral problems, learning disorders, skin conditions. Sun scare and resulting overuse of chemical sunscreens combined with mostly indoor lifestyle result in many people being vitamin D deficient without even knowing it. Vitamin D is scare in foods (eggs, fatty fish, and fortified foods), so this source cannot contribute to elevating and maintaining proper vitamin D levels. Current recommended daily amount of 400 IU is very low and does not impact vitamin D levels. Studies indicating the benefits of adequate vitamin D levels used 1,100 IU or more daily in supplement form. As a comparison, bare skin of the whole body produces 10,000-15,000 IU within 20-30 minutes of midday sun exposure, depending on person’s age and skin color (the darker the skin and the older the person, the more time it takes to produce vitamin D). More up to date information and scientific research on the topic are available at www.vitaminDcouncil.org

 

For the immune system to remain strong it is not enough only to supply it with “fuel” but it is equally important to limit exposure to substances that drain it and reduce glutathione production because the more chemicals and toxins glutathione has to eliminate from our bodies, the less can be spared for other important functions, such as DNA repair and energy metabolism. Try to bring down to a minimum, or better - completely eliminate from your diet the following foods and food ingredients: processed meats (hotdogs, sausages, ham, bologna), canned food, bleached white flour, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar, aspartame, sucralose, artificial food dyes, artificial flavorings, emulsifier PGPR, mono- and di-glycerides (forms of trans fats), potassium chloride, preservatives (TBHQ, BHT, BHA, sulfur, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium benzoate etc.) to name just a few. All these are listed on the ingredient lists of packaged food. The key is to start reading labels, every time you pick up an item from the store shelf.

 

The path to better immune health may sound overwhelming, but it can be achieved one step at a time through better  food choices, through better lifestyle choices, through educating yourself further about what makes your immune system work, and what foods help boost your immune health, and through enlisting the help of your loved ones, your friends, and your church family.

 

For more information on the topic of glutathione and immune health visit our web-site at www.ImmuneHealthScience.com