TOKYO—Taking glutathione (GSH) as an oral supplement can effectively increase the amount of the antioxidant within the bloodstream.(Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. 2014 May 62(26):6183-6189. doi: 10.1021/jf501338z)

Glutathione is a highly potent immune-boosting antioxidant that has been growing in popularity in the last few years. KOHJIN patented a process to derive l-glutathione from Torula yeast 50 years ago, and the company has been studying it since.

Researchers at KOHJIN laboratories demonstrated mitochondrial biogenesis associated with ingesting glutathione. The researchers presented the findings  last fall at the International Union of Nutritional Science conference in Grenada, Spain, and at SupplySide West in November of last year.

It was previously believed that taking glutathione orally had no effect. But KOHJIN researchers examined plasma fractionated on the basis of molecular mass from human volunteers and found GSH in the protein-bound fraction of plasma. Animal models indicated the same result, where 13C-labled GSH showed its presence in the liver at levels of 8 percent or more in as little as two hours after one dose.

Addtionally, KOHJIN presented unpublished findings at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in May, showing GSH could restore muscular energy through oral absorption.

The human studies demonstrated the mitochondrial biogenesis associated with ingesting GSH. Oral intake resulted in a mitochondrial DNA- and AMP-activated kinase expression in skeletal muscle, which can lead to acceleration of fatty acid utilization through the activation of mitochondrial aerobic metabolism. These results suggest that GSH improves lipid metabolism and acidification in muscle during exercise, which leads to the decrease of muscle fatigue.