The Neuroprotective Role of Glutathione: A Potential Ally Against Peripheral Neuropathy

Over 20 million people suffer from peripheral neuropathy in the US. It is the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide and a significant cause of chronic pain. Peripheral neuropathy results from damage to the peripheral nervous system, which transmits signals between the central nervous system (comprising the brain and spinal cord) and various parts of the body. This condition can mean the body has impaired transmission or sends mixed signals, resulting in cognitive and motor impairment.

There are many causes of peripheral neuropathy, but the underlying factor is the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. Glutathione, the body’s naturally occurring Master Antioxidant, can have an impact on balancing the free radicals that cause this, as Glutathione is an essential neuroprotective molecule in the brain. Auro Wellness’s Glutaryl can be a powerful Glutathione supplement and ally in the fight against peripheral neuropathy.

What it Feels Like to Have Peripheral Neuropathy 

It is not easy to diagnose peripheral neuropathy because of how diverse the condition is. Most people have heard of the effects of peripheral neuropathy in the form of weakness, numbness, and pain in the hands and feet. However,  it can profoundly impact various bodily functions, including regulating the heart and blood vessels, digestion, urinary function, musculoskeletal system, and immune responses. The symptoms can overlap with other diseases and vary according to the nerves involved. 

The most common causes of peripheral neuropathy are surgery, accidents, disease, or infection. Major diseases may lead to neuropathy as well. People with  HIV, shingles, and syphilis may experience neuropathic symptoms from infections.

Glutathione Protects Neurons in the Brain

Glutathione is a molecule that plays a crucial role in protecting neurons in the brain, helping to safeguard them from damage and degeneration.  It is a tripeptide molecule composed of three amino acids: glutamate, cysteine, and glycine. It plays a crucial role in cellular protection, detoxification, and maintaining cell redox balance. It is involved in tissue construction and repair, the composition of certain chemicals and proteins. By balancing free radicals, Glutathione fights off oxidative stress.

Recent research has uncovered the pivotal role of oxidative stress in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. It can damage cellular structures, disrupting their proper functioning, including neural health.

Oxidative Stress has been connected to the progression of neurodegenerative disease. This oxidative stress occurs when antioxidants like Glutathione do not balance free radical molecules.  The free radical is an unpaired, highly reactive electron. Free radicals are called reactive oxygen species (ROS) when they involve oxygen. ROS is a common byproduct of normal aerobic cellular metabolism. Naturally occurring Glutathione is part of the body’s built-in antioxidant system that balances the ROS, preventing any harm caused by excessive ROS production. However, there is not enough antioxidant fighting power; oxidative stress occurs. Oxidative stress leads to free radical attacks on neural cells, contributing to neurodegeneration.

Insights into the significance of Glutathione in brain health indicate that compromised Glutathione levels may contribute to neurological conditions. The study “Glutathione in Brain Disorders and Aging” asserts, “Glutathione assumes a crucial role in the initiation and progression of neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, potentially serving as a diagnostic biomarker for screening these conditions.”

Increasing the level of GSH within neurons is seen as a promising strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases. 

Glutathione Can Help with the Cause of Pain, Not Just the Symptoms

Most pharmaceutical treatments for neuropathic pain do not treat the underlying cause but rather the symptoms. Getting to the core of the problem, balancing ROS with more Gluathione fighting power is working. This study titled “Glutathione alleviated peripheral neuropathy in oxaliplatin-treated mice by removing aluminum from dorsal root ganglia” is related to the side effects of the chemotherapy drug Oxaliplatin, which is used to treat cancer, one of which is peripheral neuropathy. To alleviate neuropathic pain in the mice treated with Oxaliplatin, the researchers injected Glutathione. The result: It helped reduce the concentration of aluminum accumulation around the spinal cord and alleviated the pain.

As research continues, the exciting relationship between Glutathione and neural damage and peripheral neuropathy brings hope to many. 

Increasing Glutathione in the Body

Glutathione is naturally occurring in the body. When Glutathione levels in the body are plentiful, they can powerfully balance the free radicals that, if left unbalanced, can lead to neural damage. However, the stress on the body from disease, illness, surgery, everyday life, and more leads to excess free radicals. In addition, Glutathione declines with age.

For Glutathione to balance ROS and free radicals, it’s imperative to actively increase the levels of Glutathione in the body. A great place to start is to eat Glutathione-boosting foods, limit stress, limit pesticide and toxin exposure, find ways to manage stress and get plentiful sleep.

Supplement with Glutathione. Some work more potently than others.

Dr. Nayan Patel of Auro Wellness has been studying Glutathione for over two decades and has documented the effects of supplementation on overall health and vibrancy. Glutathione is hard to supplement due to the large size of the particle. IV and oral supplementation are unproven with a short window of efficacy, if at all. This led Dr. Patel to develop The Auro GSH™ Antioxidant Delivery System, which uses first-of-its-kind patented technology to optimize antioxidant absorption and effectiveness. The subcutaneous delivery of this Master Antioxidant means a more powerful impact on the body with just four sprays two times a day. Its efficacy is proven, with a recent Pilot Study evidencing its antioxidant power on immune function.

Peripheral Neuropathy can be devastating. But there is help. Don’t give up; try the antioxidant power of Glutathione to battle against it. Find out more at www.aurowellness.com/blog.