How are your New Year’s resolutions holding up? Research shows more than a third of UK adults planned to make a resolution for 2024. As you might expect, the most common pledges for change focused on health, diet, and exercise (40%). If this is you, you've probably already chucked your Christmas choc stash, joined the gym, or signed up for dry January. But have you tried glutathione yet? Known as the 'master antioxidant', boosting your glutathione levels is a quick and easy way to improve your health and wellbeing, and will work in tandem with any New Year lifestyle changes you might be trying. Even better, it's simpler to increase your intake than you think, with no need for a glutathione injection to feel the benefits.
But what can glutathione do for you, and how will it make you feel? Fans of this powerful antioxidant say that it helps with everything from improved energy levels, to better sleep, reduced anxiety, weight loss, improved mood, and even a smoother, brighter complexion.
So how does glutathione work (and do you need a glutathione injection to get the best effect)?
Found naturally in your cells, glutathione works by helping your body fight off the toxins you're exposed to in everyday life. Genetically, our bodies are designed to handle naturally occurring toxins, but struggle to process and cope with the thousands of chemicals we're exposed to in modern life. Research has shown the average person has to cope with exposure to around 85,000 industrial chemicals nowadays – eek! Eating processed foods, pollution, drugs, stress, and electromagnetic radiation doesn't help either, and will also deplete your levels of antioxidants like glutathione. All of this contributes to oxidative stress, where there's an imbalance between the free radicals toxins and antioxidants in your body, leading to damage to your cells and tissues.
This manifests itself as premature aging, feeling tired all the time, chronic illness, and a whole host of other health issues. So far, so depressing. But the good news is, you can fight back by topping up your levels of antioxidants. Especially the big Daddy antioxidant of them all: glutathione. Here are 5 easy-to-implement, natural ways to improve your levels. You can try all of these hacks at home, with no need for a trip to the IV clinic for a glutathione injection. They won't cost the earth and could have a positive impact on so many aspects of your health.
1. Take the right supplements:
Let's start with the easiest, and arguably most effective, way to boost your glutathione – take a supplement! Our Glutathione Plus patch requires minimum effort, just pop one on your skin each morning and away you go. No bulky pills to swallow, and the slow-release transdermal delivery means more of the master antioxidant will get to where you need it most.
But that's not the only reason to use our handy patch rather than a tablet, or glutathione injection. To get the most from glutathione there are also some other antioxidants you should add into the mix too, which are included in the glutathione patch. These include Alpha lipoic acid, another excellent antioxidant that recycles vitamins C and E and helps your body with glucose metabolism, supports your nervous system, and liver function.
Plus N-acetyl-cysteine, and vitamin C, essential for your body to enhance its own Glutathione production. By taking a supplement with these extra goodies, not only will you immediately improve your glutathione levels, you'll also set your body up to create more glutathione in the future, by giving your body more of what it needs to make this powerful antioxidant. A double-pronged attack on oxidative stress!
2: Choose foods rich in selenium, B vitamins, and sulphur
It's also wise to increase the amount of glutathione-rich foods in your diet, like: spinach, avocados, and asparagus. Plus, these three are all packed with vitamins and minerals and avocado is rich in omega-3 healthy fats – and they taste delicious too.
To give your body what it needs for optimum glutathione production you should also up your intake of selenium-rich foods like Brazil nuts, wild-caught salmon, and grass-fed beef. Selenium is essential to power the enzyme in glutathione that removes toxins from cells. Eat more sulphur-rich foods too, because sulphur is also essential for your body to make glutathione. Garlic, onions, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage all fit the bill. And throw in some B vitamin rich meals, including things like meat, eggs, salmon, and leafy greens (organic if possible to cut down on toxins). Vitamin B is essential for both the synthesis and recycling of glutathione.
A little diet tweak is so much easier than a trip to the IV clinic for a glutathione injection, and you'll get loads of other health benefits from your increased intake of all these nutrients – win!
3. Get active (a great alternative if a glutathione injection scares you!)
It's not just diet that can level up your glutathione, exercise will also give you a boost. This happens because moderate physical activity increases oxidative stress in the body. This increase then triggers the activation of the pathways that stimulate glutathione production. In fact, studies have shown that regular workouts help maintain or increase ALL antioxidant levels, but especially glutathione.
Research shows that a combo of cardio and circuit weight training increases glutathione the most, but don't go exercise mad though! If you work out too hard, your glutathione won't be able to keep up with the oxidative stress you're generating and your levels will actually dip. 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day, like a brisk walk, or jog, should do it.
4. Sleep your way to better glutathione levels
Zero effort required for this one, all you need to do is head to bed early for a decent night's shut-eye. You already know that getting the optimum amount of sleep for you is essential for overall health, and your glutathione production is no exception. Insomnia can cause oxidative stress and even hormone imbalances which will decrease your glutathione levels.
Getting more sleep is another New Year pledge lots of us make, but it's well worth making an effort to stick to this one. Especially if you'd like to improve your glutathione levels without the need for a glutathione injection or massive lifestyle changes. If you have trouble nodding off, try reading our sleep blog for some handy hacks to help you drift off for a long, restorative rest. Dreamy!
5. Wave goodbye to the booze
Doing dry January? Not only will cutting back on alcohol improve your sleep, concentration, and energy levels, it can also help boost your glutathione levels as well. As explained earlier in the blog, glutathione is essential to help your body get rid of toxins. Your body sees alcohol as a toxin it needs to neutralise, so If you keep overindulging on alcohol, you're just adding in more toxins to be eliminated. As well as lots of other negative health issues, this also causes your glutathione to dip.
By giving your body an alcohol-free holiday, you're allowing it more chance to maintain and make glutathione. Especially if this booze break coincides with trying out some of the other hacks shared in this blog. A great way to start the year, with better levels of glutathione and all the benefits it brings. 2024 here you come!