Friendly Coaxing

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" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch

 

HSI e-Alert - Friendly Coaxing

Wed, 16 Feb 2005 06:59:00 -0500

HSI e-Alert - Friendly Coaxing

 

 

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

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February 16, 2005

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Dear Reader,

 

Your liver just needs a little coaxing.

 

That's the implication of a study that examined the effects of vitamin

E supplementation on the production of glutathione in laboratory rats.

 

As I've mentioned in previous e-Alerts, glutathione is an amino acid

molecule that's also a powerful antioxidant and a key player in

keeping the immune system strong. In this recent study (conducted by

DSM Nutritional Products), researchers found that vitamin E stimulates

two of the most important enzymes required to prompt the liver to

produce glutathione. The trial suggested that the production of

glutathione is " significantly enhanced " by vitamin E intake.

 

Further trials will be necessary to confirm that vitamin E has the

same effect on humans. In the meantime, there are other steps we can

take to insure that the liver is getting all the encouragement it

needs to keep up the production of glutathione.

 

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Working double shifts

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One of the most interesting things about glutathione is that it is

found in every cell of the body (most notably in immune system cells),

which is one of the reasons why its antioxidant action is so effective

in protecting against disease and repairing damage throughout the

body. In addition, glutathione is believed to protect other

antioxidants (among them, vitamins C and E) from oxidizing, prolonging

and enhancing their effectiveness. It also acts directly against

certain carcinogenic substances by binding to these toxins and

eliminating them through urine or bile.

 

Obviously, this is one hard-working antioxidant. But all of this

effectiveness comes at a price. Because when the immune system is

taxed (by everything from pollution, to poor diet, infection, drugs,

radiation, emotional stress, and all types of trauma), stores of

glutathione become depleted. Also, as we grow older, glutathione

levels drop and need to be replaced.

 

But that is easier said than done.

 

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Getting the NAC of it

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In the e-Alert " A Measure of Comfort " (10/29/02), I told you about a

study in which cancer patients received glutathione intravenously

along with chemotherapy, significantly reducing the nerve damage

caused by chemo. And although this is an effective means to receive

glutathione, intravenous delivery is far from practical for the

average person's needs.

 

On the HSI Forum, member Naturalee gives a good account of how NOT to

try to replace glutathione: " Taking glutathione orally is generally

ineffective because evidently the molecules are too big to pass

through the intestinal walls to the blood stream. I have read that

taking the amino acid NAC (N-acetylcysteine) can act as precursor for

the formation of more glutathione. "

 

Exactly right. In another e-Alert ( " Storm of the Eye " 10/9/02), I

examined NAC, and noted its remarkable ability to enhance the

production of glutathione. NAC is widely available in health food

stores, and while I've seen studies where as much as 300 mg per day

was used, only half that amount is typically recommended. These

studies also report side effects of dizziness, headaches and

intestinal symptoms among about 20% of participants who took 600 mg

per day - so if you do try an NAC supplement, don't over do it. And,

as always, it's a good idea to consult your doctor before starting a

new regimen of supplements.

 

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Bring the protein

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The food sources that deliver glutathione precursors are meats and

fresh fruits and vegetables. But even with a diet high in the proteins

that supply glutathione amino acids, one of those amino acids -

cysteine - is more difficult than the others to come by. A natural

food component with high concentrations of glutathione precursors

(including cysteine) is milk-serum-protein concentrate - more simply

known as whey.

 

For those who avoid dairy in their diets, whey will not be an answer.

For others, however, the proteins found in milk whey (serum albumin,

alpha lactalbumin, and lactoferrin) all contribute to the

effectiveness of the glutathione precursors.

 

In a Members Alert we sent you several years ago ( " How Whey Can Keep

Your Immune System From Failing " 10/1/97), we told you about a

Canadian product called Immunocal which is more concentrated in

cysteine than other whey products. And Immunocal (easily found through

various Internet sources) contains no milk sugars, so is far less

likely to trigger a lactose-intolerance reaction. Unfortunately,

Immunocal is a little on the expensive side, so daily use as a

preventive may not be practical for everyone. But even if you don't

take it daily, it can still be effective as a standby for those times

when your immune system needs replenishment.

 

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....and another thing

 

You could call them " folate helpers. "

 

In the e-Alert " Cool Under Pressure " (2/7/05), I told you how an

adequate intake of folate may significantly reduce the risk of

developing hypertension. But you can't expect folate to do all the

work on its own.

 

Researchers at Tulane University examined dietary and medical records

for more than 15,000 adults to examine the association between

antioxidant levels in the blood and hypertension.

 

Although their findings indicate that vitamins E and A do not reduce

hypertension, vitamin C, beta carotene and alpha carotene were all

associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure. Both of these

carotenes are found in abundance in fruits and vegetables, and both

are converted to vitamin A in the body. The researchers did not

explain the somewhat contradictory result that vitamin A does not

reduce high blood pressure, while the nutrients that the body converts

to vitamin A do.

 

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables promotes hearth health? That's not

news to HSI members. And yet a noted expert in antioxidant research,

Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg (Tufts University School of Medicine) told

Reuters Health that the Tulane study is the first to find an

association between alpha and beta carotene and blood pressure.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

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Sources:

" Glutathione: New Supplement on the Block " Alison Palkhivala, WebMD,

7/30/01

" Glutathione " Michael W. Davidson, Florida State University, January, 2003

" Some Antioxidants Higher, Lower in Hypertensives " Natalie Engler,

Reuters Health, 1/3/03

" Vitamin E Boosts Body's Defense System " NutraIngredients.com,

9/20/04, nutraingredients.com

 

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