Effects of Oral Glutathione Precursors’ Supplementation on Human Glutathione Level

Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide of cysteine, glutamate, and glycine. These amino acids made the synthesis of GSH possible and act as a major cellular antioxidant in the body. The production of GSH in the body depends on several factors; such as dietary intake and cysteine availability. With the turnover rate of endogenous GSH can be as high as 65% per day, more consumers has turned to GSH supplement to maintain or boost up their GSH level. GSH supplement available in the market usually contains GSH precursor/s that are said to be able to increase GSH level in the body. In this study, the oral GSH supplement used contains all three precursors of GSH; cystine replacing cysteine, glutamate, and glycine. Subjects were asked to consume the supplement according to the instructed dosage in order to measure the effects of oral GSH precursors’ supplement on human GSH level after the three-month study period ends. The results from this study suggest that the oral GSH precursors’ supplement increases GSH level across the test groups after the three-month study period.