Glutathione and Anxiety: A Natural Approach

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, over 40 million adults in the U.S. experience an anxiety disorder, and levels are rising. In 2024, 43% of adults reported feeling more anxious than the previous year. With anxiety affecting so many, there’s a growing interest in finding natural ways to manage it. Research increasingly highlights a connection between oxidative stress—an imbalance caused by harmful free radicals in the body—and inflammation, which can contribute to anxiety. This has brought attention to natural antioxidants, particularly Glutathione, often called the “master antioxidant,” and its role in battling against damaging oxidative stress in the brain. Exciting information is linking the impact of antioxidants on mental health, and Glutathione is shown to be providing an adjunct therapy that is helping people manage anxiety. 

Understanding Glutathione’s Role in the Body

Every day, our bodies are besieged by harmful free radicals – unstable atoms that can cause damage to cells, proteins, and DNA. They cause damage to the body on every level, leading to illness, disease, and accelerated aging, among other outcomes.  Normal metabolic processes produce these free radicals, but most prominently, they are caused by environmental toxins, including UV rays, pollution, alcohol, tobacco, and stress.  

This damaging oxidative stress affects brain health as well, leading to mood disorders like anxiety and depression and even neurodegenerative disease. The body uses powerful antioxidants like Glutathione to balance these free radicals, detoxify and neutralize them, and fend off oxidative stress damage.

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Does Glutathione Help with Anxiety?

For many years, scientists have determined a link between low Glutathione levels and people suffering from psychological conditions that include anxiety, specifically a 2017 study regarding adolescent depression. This is because the low levels of Glutathione detrimentally affect the brain’s detox system. 

Glutathione supplementation to detox the brain is the natural next step to fight free radical damage for brain health. As one noted study states, “Glutathione is commonly referred to as the principal antioxidant of the brain and, therefore, plays a critical role in maintaining redox homeostasis.” This has led to an exciting new frontier that has emerged – using Glutathione supplementation as a potentially beneficial adjunctive therapy for anxiety. 

How Glutathione Works to Combat Anxiety

Glutathione helps protect the brain by clearing these harmful free radical molecules so they cannot disturb the balance of neurotransmitters and hormones that regulate stress and emotions. Increasing levels of this much-needed antioxidant are helping many feel relief from anxiety.  

In addition, oxidative stress can lead to inflammation in the brain. This inflammation has been linked to numerous brain disorders, and keeping it at bay is crucial to brain health.  

A study on stressed mice found that giving them NAC, a supplement that helps boost Glutathione levels, reduced anxiety-like behaviors. It worked by restoring the balance of essential brain chemicals in the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in stress and emotions. 

Reduces Oxidative Stress in the Brain

Oxidative stress can weaken the body’s natural defense system and impair critical biological functions, making it less effective at neutralizing harmful molecules and free radicals.  

Glutathione protects cells from damage and supports brain health by neutralizing free radicals and managing oxidative stress so that it does not interfere with mood regulation. The brain is especially prone to oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS)—a specific type of free radical containing oxygen that is naturally generated during cellular metabolism. Due to the brain’s high oxygen consumption and abundance of unsaturated fatty acids, the brain is particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage. Glutathione plays a critical role in defending the brain by neutralizing ROS, helping to prevent cellular damage, maintaining healthy brain function, and effectively reducing oxidative stress.  

Also – low Glutathione affects the energy-producing structures in brain cells, called mitochondria, which are crucial for brain health and function. Dysfunctional mitochondria due to low Glutathione levels have been linked to various neurological and mental health conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, mood disorders, and cognitive decline. 

Visit Auro Wellness blogs to learn how Glutathione reduces oxidative stress.  

Supports Neurotransmitter Balance

Oxidative stress can lead to disturbances in dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission, the critical brain chemicals that regulate stress and mood.  Glutathione helps to protect the enzymes and pathways involved in synthesizing dopamine and serotonin from oxidative damage. Glutathione prevents damage to cellular structures and maintains a healthy environment for brain cell communication, including producing and regulating neurotransmitters.  

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Glutathione has multiple anti-inflammatory effects, as It balances free radicals to help modulate the body’s inflammatory response, potentially reducing the inflammatory burden on cells. Chronic low-grade inflammation is often associated with a range of age-related health conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, and has been linked to anxiety disorders. Specific markers of inflammation—like inflammatory proteins and cytokines—are often found at higher levels in people who suffer from anxiety, showing the link that inflammation plays in the development and worsening of anxiety.   

Glutathione Supplementation for Anxiety Relief

If you are a loved one dealing with anxiety, consider Glutathione supplementation. Primary forms of supplementation include oral, IV, and topical.  

• Oral  – Oral Glutathione must travel through the digestive tract and is easily broken down by enzymes in the stomach. As this study states per its results, “ short-term, oral intake of GSH (Glutathione) does not improve Glutathione status, nor reduce markers of oxidative stress in healthy adults, and thus routine supplementation may not offer health benefits in the absence of disease or oxidative challenge.” 

• IV – This form of Glutathione bypasses the digestive tract, going straight into the bloodstream, allowing rapid absorption. However, the half-life in the bloodstream is extremely short, so for optimal effects, very frequent administration is needed, and the efficacy is unproven.  

• Topical  – Externally sourced Glutathione typically has a short lifespan in the body. However, Auro’s Glutaryl, delivered through a patented subdermal delivery system, provides a highly potent form of Glutathione that remains active for 4–6 hours. To maintain optimal Glutathione levels, it is recommended to apply Glutaryl twice daily, in the morning and evening. The Auro Delivery System maximizes antioxidant absorption and effectiveness and ensures subdermal distribution, allowing the body to absorb Glutathione up to ten times more efficiently than other methods.  

Find out more and learn the best Glutathione supplement options for anxiety relief on the Auro Wellness blog. 

Natural Ways to Boost Glutathione Levels

You can powerfully affect Glutathione levels with healthy lifestyle choices. These include prioritizing sleep, utilizing techniques to manage stress, and avoiding alcohol, tobacco, toxins, and excessive UV rays, among other free radical stressors. Pack your diet with foods that contain sulfur, the critical mineral that supports Glutathione production, like cruciferous vegetables, fruits such as avocados and strawberries, and meats and fish. Explore our comprehensive guide on ways to increase Glutathione levels.

Potential Side Effects and Safety Considerations

Although adverse side effects from Glutathione supplementation are uncommon, consult your doctor if you have concerns about potential reactions. Some individuals may experience side effects such as headaches, dizziness, skin rashes, digestive discomfort, or, in rare cases, difficulty breathing. 

Summary

Anxiety can be a debilitating way to live, and so many suffer. Consider your lifestyle choices that may be affecting your anxiety and consider supplementation of the Master Antioxidant Glutathione. It works to balance oxidative stress that can affect how the brain manages this mood disorder, effectively helping with anxiety.  Find out how Auro Wellness can support your mental health journey, and explore our Glutathione products today!