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Glutathione, often referred to as the “master antioxidant,” plays a vital role in cellular health and detoxification. It has attracted significant attention in the development of health supplements and pharmaceuticals due to its potent antioxidant properties.
In fact, reduced glutathione is the biologically active form that can be directly utilized by the human body, exerting important functions such as acting as an antioxidant and facilitating detoxification. L-glutathione and glutathione are different expressions of the same substance, and there is no essential difference between the two, but their specific efficacy largely depends on whether it is in a reduced state.
Understanding Glutathione: The Master Antioxidant
What is Glutathione
Glutathione is a natural tripeptide antioxidant composed of three amino acids: glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine. It is widely present in animal and plant cells, mainly responsible for clearing reactive oxygen species and free radicals, protecting cells from oxidative damage, and participating in the body’s detoxification process.
Chemical properties
Chemical Name: L-γ-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine
Molecular Formula: C10H17N3O6S
CAS: 70-18-8 (reduced form)
Molecular Weight: 307.32 g/mol
Biological Significance
Antioxidant Protection
In our daily lives, the body constantly produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, which attack cell membranes, proteins, and DNA, causing “oxidative stress”, accelerating aging, or triggering diseases. Glutathione reduces cellular aging and disease risk by neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, preventing lipid peroxidation, protein denaturation, and DNA oxidative damage.
Detoxication
The liver is an important detoxification organ in the human body. During liver metabolism, glutathione can bind with heavy metals, drug metabolites, and environmental toxins, and eliminate harmful substances through urine or bile. Effectively reduce the harm of toxic substances to the human body.
Immune system support
Glutathione is crucial for the activity of immune cells such as lymphocytes and macrophages. It can help these cells reproduce, recognize, and attack foreign pathogens more effectively. At the same time, it can also regulate the release of cytokines, keeping the immune system functioning normally, resisting infections without overreacting.
Protein synthesis and folding
By regulating the reduction state of protein thiol groups, glutathione helps proteins maintain their correct spatial structure and ensure their normal function.
Free radicals and oxidative stress not only damage proteins but also attack DNA, leading to gene mutations and even cancer. Glutathione can eliminate these harmful molecules, reduce DNA damage, and support intracellular repair mechanisms to maintain gene stability.
L-Glutathione vs Glutathione
Is there a difference between L-Glutathione and Glutathione? In fact, they are identical compounds. The chemical structure of glutathione contains three types of amino acids, among which glutamic acid and cysteine are in the L-type configuration, which is the common form of amino acids in proteins in nature. Therefore, “L” only represents the stereochemical configuration of amino acids and does not represent a new or specific component.
GSH vs GSSG
Glutathione has two forms in the human body: reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). Reduced and oxidized glutathione can be converted into each other in the human body. They are a dynamic equilibrium process catalyzed by an enzyme called glutathione reductase (GR). GSH, as an antioxidant, is oxidized to GSSG after clearing free radicals and toxins. Then, through the catalytic action of GR, GSSG is reduced back to GSH, achieving its regeneration and sustained antioxidant effect.
GSH is the only biologically active form of glutathione in the human body that exerts functions such as antioxidant, detoxification, and immune support. It can directly participate in physiological reactions within cells and is widely used in food, health products, and cosmetics. Its main functions are antioxidant, detoxification, and immune enhancement.
GSSG is a product of the oxidation of GSH, which has no biological activity and needs to be reduced to GSH by consuming energy under the action of enzymes in order to resume its function.
The application of glutathione
Food Applications
Stabilizer function: It can be added to nutritional products such as yogurt and baby food to exert antioxidant and stabilizing effects similar to vitamin C, helping to maintain the freshness and nutritional value of the product.
Preventing discoloration: Adding glutathione to fish mince products can effectively prevent color darkening caused by oxidation and maintain the appearance quality of the product.
Improving processing performance: Using glutathione in noodle products can shorten bread fermentation and production time by half or even one-third of the original, while enhancing nutritional value and food functionality.
Flavor enhancement: Applied to meat, cheese and other foods, it can improve and enhance the flavor, making the product taste more mellow.
Cosmetics application
Whitening effect: Glutathione can achieve the effect of brightening skin tone and reducing pigmentation by inhibiting tyrosinase activity and reducing melanin production.
Anti aging: It can eliminate free radicals, prevent collagen degradation, thereby reducing wrinkles and improving skin elasticity.
Skin improvement: Glutathione helps to shrink pores, repair damaged barriers, and make the skin more delicate and smooth.
Medical applications
Anti-inflammation and tissue protection: can reduce cell damage caused by hypoxia, allergies, or inflammatory reactions, and promote tissue repair.
Liver protection and detoxification: Helps the liver clear toxins, inactivates some hormones, and promotes bile acid metabolism, thereby aiding in the absorption of fats and fat soluble vitamins.
Radiation protection: It has a certain protective effect against damage caused by radiation, radioactive substances, or anti-cancer drugs (such as drugs that cause leukopenia).
Safety and side effects
Glutathione is generally safe. There are currently no cases of serious side effects caused by taking glutathione. But any supplement should be consulted with a healthcare provider before starting to take, especially pregnant women, breastfeeding women, people with existing illnesses, or those taking medication.
Glutathione Powder Wholesale: Runtai Chemical
When evaluating potential glutathione manufacturers, manufacturing capacity and technology infrastructure serve as primary differentiators. Leading manufacturers typically operate pharmaceutical-grade facilities with controlled atmosphere capabilities essential for reduced glutathione production.
Runtai Chemical’s glutathione powder can meet the diverse needs of modern supplement and cosmetics manufacturers. Our glutathione powder always exceeds the purity standard of 99%, and its pharmaceutical-grade production process ensures consistency between batches, which is crucial for commercial success.
Our reduced glutathione portfolio includes both standard grades and specialized stabilized formulations designed for challenging applications. Advanced processing techniques maintain the critical reduced state while extending shelf life beyond industry standards. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to verify GSH content and confirm stability characteristics.
