From
Cell to Super Cell - with Glutathione
Copyright
2002 Priya Shah
Imagine
you're a cell.
Inside
your body runs the machinery that creates life itself. But as
that machinery keeps running, day after day, you begin to get
worn out - the friction and the processes that cause damage (here
the "free-radicals" - highly destructive little entities
generated by biochemical processes, as well as pollutants, UV
radiation and other sources) start to create havoc and you begin
to lose the battle to disease, old age and ultimately death.
In
fact your battle would be over much sooner were it not for the
numerous mechanisms that you and other mammalian cells evolved
over millions of years, as protection from the injury that can
result from your normal functional processes. The foremost among
these internal protective systems is the "Glutathione antioxidant
system."
Glutathione,
a small molecule composed of three amino acids - glycine, glutamate
and cysteine - acts as your cellular Super-Mop, soaking up "free-radicals"
(with the help of the sulfur-containing portion of the cysteine
molecule), protecting your cellular membranes and internal organs
from the cascading destruction they can cause.
Besides
being the major antioxidant that you produce as protection from
"free-radicals," glutathione is also a very important
detoxifying agent, enabling you to get rid of undesirable toxins
and pollutants. If you were a liver, kidney or lung cell, you
would contain high levels of glutathione, as you'd be exposed
to the greatest levels of toxins.
Glutathione
also helps you dispose of many cancer- producing chemicals, heavy
metals, drug metabolites etc. that invade the pristine recesses
of your cellular world. And Mother Nature (the first recycler)
also designed you to use glutathione to recycle other well-known
antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E, keeping them in
their active state.
If
you were a cell delegated to the immune system department, you
would require glutathione for many of the intricate steps needed
to carry out your essential immune response functions - such as
multiplying to make many clones of yourself, to mount a full-bodied
immune response, or "neutralizing" undesirable elements
of the cellular community, like cancerous or virally infected
cells.
But
your finicky cell membrane does not allow whole glutathione molecules
to cross over directly into your cellular spaces. And every time
a molecule of glutathione neutralizes a destructive free-radical
or toxin, it fatally binds with the undesirable element and is
washed out with them in the bile or the urine.
So
how do you replenish your stores and get your daily fix of glutathione?
Simple. You manufacture it in your cellular factory, from its
raw materials - glycine, glutamate and cysteine.
If
your human eats a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and
freshly prepared meats, you should get be getting enough glutamate
and glycine. But cystine comes mostly from eggs, milk and cheese.
And when eggs, milk and cheese are cooked or processed, the composition
of Cystine is changed to Cysteine (small difference in spelling,
but BIG difference in action). While still a valuable protein,
it can no longer feed your glutathione levels.
If
you can get a sufficient supply of cysteine (which determines
the rate at which you can make glutathione), your arsenal is well-
stocked. If not, you and your human are at a strategic disadvantage
in the battle of "Cell v/s Free-radical Destroyers."
As
a normal, healthy cell, increasing your glutathione levels could
help you and your human maintain that strategic advantage in the
battle against free-radicals. If you're not really in your prime,
boosting your levels could tip the scales in your favor, and help
you fight the cellular damage that causes disease and aging.
About the author:
Priya Shah is the Editor of The
Glutathione Report, a newsletter featuring regular updates
on the health benefits of glutathione. Get a Free
report on Glutathione in Health and Disease
