.SKIN LIGHTENING (WHITENING)

Glutathione is regarded as the king of all antioxidants because it has amazing and unique ability to recycle other antioxidants! For instance, it protects our body’s vitamin C, which as a result of fighting with bad free radicals eventually itself becomes a form of a radical, but glutathione is able to transform this altered vitamin C back to its antioxidant state! And it can do the same with other antioxidants. No wonder glutathione is praised so much today and studied.

We know that free radicals (damaged atoms) cause all kind of health problems including cancer, fatigue, weak immune system, ageing, neurological problems, poor memory, chronic diseases, etc. Therefore by neutralising them so effectively glutathione is the most important molecule we need to feel good, get rid of fatigue, have strong immune system, stay healthy and prevent diseases. Glutathione also protects our body against most dangerous heavy metals such as lead and mercury. High concentration of glutathione in our body is the secret to slow down ageing process, prevent cancer, heart disease, dementia and it is one of the most important factors necessary to deal with neurological conditions such as MS, Parkinson’s, autism or Alzheimer’s disease!

Glutathione is also regarded as the best healthy skin promoting and skin lightening supplement according to the black and dark-skinned women who attempt to beautify and lighten theirs skin. According to those who use supplements increasing glutathione levels in the body, the skin is not only lighter but also smoother, younger and stronger. A study found positive results after only one month in a small group of participants, making many dark-skinned women very optimistic and hoping that over extended time of using this antioxidant in the form of supplements it can whiten the skin. Glutathione may help to whiten the skin because it reduce free radicals in the body that activate enzyme Tyrosinase which causes an increase in melanin (skin pigment) production. By reducing skin pigment release glutathione lightens the skin. However, to see the results patience is required as it takes 4 to 6 months to notice the difference in the form of a smoother and lighter skin.

WAYS TO BOOST GLUTATHIONE

Although our body produces its own glutathione yet poor diet, stress, pollution, toxins, medications, trauma, ageing, infections or radiation deplete it. As a result we become susceptible to unrestrained cell damage and disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections or cancer. In addition, our liver gets overloaded with toxins and gets damaged and unable to do its job.

One would think it would be easy just to take glutathione as a supplement, but since it is a protein and our body digests proteins we wouldn’t get the benefits if we take glutathione in the form of a tablet or capsule.

Another problem with glutathione supplementation is that by providing the body with glutathione supplements, its natural way of production may get disrupted, since there is another source involved and there are already adequate supplies available. In this way liver may cease generating this most important antioxidant and even develop a form of dependency on supplements.

FOODS SUPPLEMENTS TO INCREASE GLUTATHIONE

But the good news is we can greatly increase glutathione production in our body stimulating liver to increase its production through taking other amino-acids, antioxidants, vitamins, herbs and foods. In this way provide our liver with everything it needs to make more of this most important of all antioxidants. All the most important foods, factors and supplements are listed below. The more of them you include the better results you can expect:

– Glutathione is a combination of three simple amino acids – cysteine, glycine and glutamine. So if you know this you can draw a simple conclusion that we need to make sure our body always has enough of these three ingredients to make glutathione. And supplementation is a good idea.

– Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is the most important after glutathione in our cells and is involved in energy production, blood sugar control, brain health and detoxification. The body usually makes it, but given all the stresses we are under, we are always deficient. As I mentioned before, glutathione supplementation has not been proven to be an effective way due to poor absorption and because it has low ability to accumulate in our brain. Fortunately, lipoic acid has been shown excellent ability to increase intracellular glutathione levels by about 70%!!! In a clinical trial, glutathione was shown to significantly lighten dark spots. Interestingly, ALA actually stops pigment production from UV radiation better than glutathione! Studies show that ALA interferes with the internal pathways to hyperpigmentation. It helps whiten skin by decreasing enzymes that promote melanin production. In addition, it reduces expression of the key transcription factor protein that starts the skin pigmentation process. In addition, ALA can also regenerate and increase other common antioxidants such as beauty vitamins C or E in our body. Another good news is that lipoic acid is able to chelate iron which tends to be catalysed into very harmful activity by the antibiotic gentamicin. unfortunately iron works as a pro-oxidant, which means it can greatly increase the harmful free-radical activity. it means that Alpha lipoic acid’s has also the ability to disarm the harmful iron.

– L-Cysteine or N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) has been used for years to help treat asthma, lung disease, life-threatening liver failure from Tylenol overdose, or to prevent kidney damage from dyes used during x-ray studies. However, since L-cysteine has very good skin-whitening abilities, it is used in various anti-spot medicines and nutrition tablets. It stimulates pheomelanin production, a lighter skin pigment compared to eumelanin. At the same time, it represses the activity of tyrosinase enzymes which are involved in the production of melanin. L-cysteine is also one of the best ways to stimulate levels of Glutathione, body’s most powerful antioxidant with skin whitening-effect effect. Since it is impossible to get enough of this antioxidant from foods, the amount of supplemental L-cysteine needed for skin problems is about 200-500 mg a day. L-cysteine is not naturally present in food ingredients; the only natural form is L-cystine which in the body is converted to L-cysteine.

– Take also sublingual Methylcobalamin (B12) folate and vitamins B6 (Methylation nutrients) as they are regarded by some experts as the most critical factors to keep the body producing glutathione. If you eat green leafy vegetables on a regular basis you don’t actually need folate supplements but you you avoid consuming them regularly instead of folic acid take folate in its active form of 5 methyltetrahydrofolate. Vitamin B6 is also better in the active P5P form; and vitamin B12 must be in the form of sublingual methylcobalamin.

– It was previously believed that the powerful anti-fatigue effect of Moringa oleifera is the result of especially its powerful antioxidants as well as very high chlorophyll and vitamin/mineral content. But in 2015 it was demonstrated that this benefit of Moringa is also due to its ability to improve body energy stores by increasing levels and activity of other antioxidants such as glutathione. For instance, in 2008 study Moringa oleifera prevented acetaminophen induced liver injury by restoring levels of glutathione, regarded as the most important of all antioxidants.

– According to the medical research for instance a 2007 study, “Resveratrol increases glutamate uptake and glutathione content…” >

Like resveratrol also grape seed extract increases glutathione. Both of them are derived from grapes, but unlike grape seed extract which is derived from seeds, resveratrol is extracted from grape skins. Although both substances have similar actions in the body and increase glutathione, there are some differences between them as far as individual recommended medicinal uses are concerned.

– L-Glutamin – required by the liver to manufacture glutathione a potent antioxidant.  Glutamine acts also as a nitrogen shuttle helping our body reduce the formation of toxic levels of ammonia in the liver.  Read more about GLUTAMIN >

– Acetyl L-Carnitine capsules

– Turmeric

–  Milk thistle (with its key active ingredient – silymarin) has long been used to boost glutathione levels.

– Eat glutathione-boosting sulphur-rich foods: garlic, onions, leeks, chives, and the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, watercress, etc.). However, if you don’t consume sulphur-containing foods on a regular basis you can take sulphur in the form of supplement called MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) as according to the medical research MSM Raises Glutathione Levels >

– Exercise to boost glutathione as it is the body’s natural response to the increased oxidative load triggered by exercise (increased energy production).

– Try bioactive whey protein. This is great source of cysteine and the amino acid building blocks for glutathione synthesis. Although I myself avoid dairy for different reasons yet if you don’t you should remember about good quality biologically active whey. The whey protein MUST be bioactive and made from non-denatured protein non-pasteurized and non-industrially produced milk that contains no pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. The problem, however, is that almost all whey products available today are loaded with bad chemicals and excitotoxins. So you need to research this subject carefully and find an alternative, undenatured or biologically active whey.

– There is also evidence that addressing a very common today due to soil depletion or refined diet magnesium deficiency can increase glutathione levels, and vice versa, as boosting glutathione can increase magnesium too.

– Selenium helps the body recycle and produce more glutathione.

– Also other antioxidants such as vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols) help to recycle glutathione.

– Avoid alcohol as it decreases glutathione because alcohol creates a toxin which must be detoxified by glutathione, thus reducing glutathione level.

– Avoid refined foods such as white flour products, white pasta or refined rice and especially products containing refined sugar or added glucose as all high glycemic foods in number of studies showed that increased blood glucose levels led to decreased glutathione levels!

– Maca – the Peruvian aphrodisiac was found to increase the natural super-antioxidants including SOD and glutathione.

EXTERNAL REMEDIES

Many women use topical creams to improve skin pigmentation, but although they may help, it is not the long lasting and most effective treatment. Many cosmetics that promise skin bleaching effect might be even harmful as they often contain toxic chemicals which actually speed up the ageing process. On the other hand, there are some good quality glutathione creams which are beneficial and will help to gain better results. The internal supplementation is still the most important element of the treatment. Fight ageing from the source, improve the health of your cells and improve the look of your skin.

RELATED ARTICLES

– To get better results implement principles and use supplements listed in DARK SPOTS, LIVER SPOTS, AGE SPOTS, SUN SPOTS >

REFERENCES & SOURCES

“Glutathione. Your body’s most powerful protector” by Dr. Jimmy Gutman.