How Stress Affects Glutathione Levels  

Got stress? You’re not alone. But the question is – how does it impact our bodies – and our Glutathione levels in particular?  

Glutathione is a naturally occurring Master Antioxidant that primarily protects cells from different forms of oxidative stress and serves as a defense system. 

Oxidative stress comes in the form of free radicals that tax our bodies, like pesticides, food additives, sun exposure, and environmental pollutants.  

When antioxidants like Glutathione are plentiful, our body can balance the free radicals and prevent oxidative stress from damaging our cells, which can lead to illness, disease, and more.  

But what about stress? If we go through a particularly stressful time, does that directly affect Glutathione levels in the body? 

The answer is no – and yes: Glutathione levels are not directly affected by daily life stress, but they are affected indirectly. Here’s how: 

We all experience three types of stress- 

• Physical stress occurs when you are ill, injured, or pushed to your physical limits. 
• Chemical stress is a by-product of exposure to or ingesting toxins or pollutants.  
• Psychological stress is the consequence of anything that weighs on our minds. 

This is where Glutathione indirectly affects stress:  

• Glutathione’s job is to detoxify the body of harmful chemicals. So, it primarily plays a role in riding the body of chemical stress that comes in the form of free radicals. In this way, Glutathione does help the body to get rid of chemical stress.  
• Psychological stress mainly affects the adrenal glands; however, when the body is under duress, it raises the heart rate and interferes with how deeply you breathe. Essentially, the body’s reaction to stress inhibits the Glutathione’s detoxifying power.  

There is also valuable information in studies that moderate stress levels raise Glutathione levels, particularly in older adults with reduced levels of Glutathione. It’s a pretty fantastic function; this elevated Glutathione level is believed to play a role in preconditioning the body for stress tolerance by protecting against more severe stress. Or simply, the body gets ready to battle against elevated stress to come by increasing Glutathione stores. 

Get Ahead of Stress to Conserve Glutathione 

One of the ways to ensure that the body keeps Glutathione levels high is to work on minimizing stress. An action plan to curtail your reactions to stress daily will help conserve antioxidants, including Glutathione.  

In Dr. Nayan Patel’s The Glutathione Revolution, he includes de-stressing as a critical component of his action plans that “Kick your Gluathione-Making Machinery into Gear.”  He suggests a 3 to 7-minute meditation twice during the day a couple of times a week as part of the game plan to boost levels of the Master Antioxidant for better health, energy, and vibrancy. Do what works for you, schedule moderate walks daily, and laugh with a friend on the phone. De-stressing your life is critical to a long and happy one, and keeping Glutathione on your side is a potent oxidative stress fighter.  

Chemical stress will zap Glutathione levels. The more the body takes on, the more Glutathione is needed to battle against it. Take control of chemical stress by taking action to increase the levels of Glutathione that will neutralize the free radicals it causes; focus on moderate exercise and a diet rich in Glutathione boosting foods. You can eat your way to higher levels of Glutathione in food with selenium, including Brazil nuts, tuna, cottage cheese, turkey and chicken. Other Gluathione-rich foods include avocados, tomatoes, steak, oranges, beans, and spinach. Consider a supplement like Auro Wellness’s Glutaryl– four sprays twice a day help boost Glutathione levels. Its high efficacy has resulted in proven results in a case study for improving immunity.  

Take control of stress in your life, and let Auro Wellness’ Glutaryl help you manage chemical stress in your body with its potent detoxifying power.