Gluta here, gluta there, gluta everywhere!

You really can’t miss it — they have billboards everywhere, ads in newspapers and magazines, celebrities mentioning their brands, and regular people offering testimonials on home TV shopping networks. No, it’s not some new clothing brand or makeup item, it’s all about a health supplement called glutathione.

Glutathione defined

Glutathione, basically, is an antioxidant that is naturally found in the body. It helps fight the effects of stress, free radicals, and illness. “Glutathione controls the antioxidant status of our cells. It can stop free radicals in their tracks. It is important in defending our bodies against free radicals and oxidative stress. Whenever our bodies are under severe stress, glutathione comes to the rescue. However, it gets used up rapidly and its levels drop. In fact, a low level of glutathione in our bodies is an indication of inflammatory states which causes fatigue and leads to all sorts of diseases. Luckily, we are now able to increase and maintain high levels of glutathione to maximize our body’s defenses,” shares Dr. Yanee Santos of Aesthetic Science Clinic (GF Kennedy Center Building, Madrigal Business Park, Alabang, Muntinlupa; tel nos. 809-8021 / 383-3488 / 0916-3412464). But all the commotion isn’t so much about these health benefits, but a side effect of glutathione when it is taken in bigger doses — like for skin whitening.

White don’t you?

As a whitening-obsessed nation, glutathione was readily embraced by Filipinos everywhere as a “healthy” way to get fairer. This whitening side-effect was discovered in patients who got fairer after taking large doses of this antioxidant to help strengthen their immune systems. So aside from helping the body get stronger, you get whiter skin, too. There is no recommended dosage for glutathione as it is not a vital supplement. And just in case you think taking two million milligrams will speed up the whitening process, glutathione that is considered excess will just be flushed out of the body. You also need to take a vitamin C supplement and lots of water to help your body process glutathione. So no, you will not get whiter faster nor get an overdose from chucking down a whole bottle.

Health is wealth

For those who don’t really want fairer skin, can glutathione be of any benefit? “Apart from skin whitening, glutathione strengthens our immune system and thus helps fight infection. It aids in liver detoxification, preventing accumulation of toxic or poisonous substances in our bodies. It has also been used to improve chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS, cancer states, etc,” shares Dr. Yanee. Acne-prone skin can also benefit from the detoxifying effect of glutathione. Users report “glowing” skin after taking the supplement. Body builders also take the supplement to help strengthen their bodies.

Form and function

Glutathione comes in several forms. The most common being capsules which should be taken with Vitamin C at a dose of 500 mg to 1000 mg a day (Royale L-Gluta Power, 30 capsules, P1,400; Royale L-Gluta Power 700, 30 capsules, P1,800 (www.royalebusiness club.com); AS Glutathione, 30 capsules, P1,500; AS Glutatone, 60 capsules, P4,000). Some oral forms of glutathione are not always effective since they might not be digested properly. Another popular form is injectable glutathione (Aesthetic Science offers injectable glutathione with vitamin C treatments at P2,000/session. The treatment should be done one to two times a week for 20 sessions or more for maintenance). This is the most effective method of getting glutathione in the body, although not very practical. This procedure gives faster results since glutathione is readily available to the cells. A less common method of taking it is through a sublingual spray which is spritzed under the tongue three times a day. This form is an alternative to those who cannot tolerate the oral and injectable forms. Lastly, there are glutathione soaps and lotions readily available in grocery stores and drug stores. These are considered to be the least effective forms since skin absorption is questionable.

Health and beauty

Glutathione does seem to be a wonder health and beauty supplement. Studies have shown that our body’s glutathione levels start to decrease after the age of 20, so taking it might actually help you look young and feel more energetic. I’ve always been hesitant about ingesting “beauty” meds and I like my morena skin, but given glutathione’s great health benefits, I just might give this a try.

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For comments and suggestions, please e-mail me at donna.cunapita@gmail.com.