Compound or practice · Supplement
Glutathione
The master antioxidant — better raised by making it (NAC, glycine) than by swallowing it, though liposomal forms help.
- Overall grade
- Grade C
- Last revised
- 2
- graded outcomes
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
2 at grade C — 2 graded rows
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Oxidative stress markersEvidence grade C
Raised stores
Smallmixed
- Fatty liver markersEvidence grade C
Modest
Smallmixed
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Thin evidence: Oxidative stress markers (grade C); Fatty liver markers (grade C).
Interactions
Documented pairings with supplements and medicines. A medicine on this list is a conversation for whoever prescribes it.
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)Works together
NAC supplies cysteine, the rate-limiting glutathione precursor.
GlycineWorks together
Glycine is a glutathione building block.
The evidence in words
What it is
Glutathione is the body's central intracellular antioxidant tripeptide, sold orally, liposomally, and (in some regions) intravenously.
How it works
It neutralizes reactive oxygen species and recycles other antioxidants; oral absorption is historically poor, which is why precursors are often preferred.
What the evidence shows
Newer trials show oral and liposomal glutathione can raise body stores and some oxidative markers, with modest signals in fatty liver and skin; hard clinical outcomes are limited. Building it from NAC + glycine is a cheaper route.
How to use it
250–1,000 mg/day (liposomal for absorption), or supply precursors (NAC, glycine).
Safety & interactions
Well tolerated; skin-lightening IV use is a separate, unregulated concern. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) — NAC supplies cysteine, the rate-limiting glutathione precursor. Glycine — Glycine is a glutathione building block.
Bottom line
Real antioxidant, awkward to dose orally. Liposomal forms work; NAC + glycine is the value route.
How it is used
As the entry records it, from the studies it summarises. Not a recommendation for you — doses that suit a trial population may not suit you.
- Standard
- 250–1,000 mg/day liposomal, or NAC+glycine.
Goes with
- N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)NAC supplies cysteine, the rate-limiting glutathione precursor.Evidence grade B
- GlycineGlycine is a glutathione building block.Evidence grade B
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Glutathione for Fatty liver markersEvidence grade C — ModestEvidence grade C
- Glutathione for Oxidative stress markersEvidence grade C — Raised storesEvidence grade C
- Glutathione: dosage and how to take it250–1,000 mg/day liposomal, or NAC+glycine.Evidence grade C
- Glutathione: side effects, safety & interactionsWell tolerated; skin-lightening IV use is a separate, unregulated concern.Evidence grade C
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.