Glutathione is an antioxidant that participates in many chemical reactions inside your cells to keep you healthy. This protein is made up of glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine to form glutathione protein to eliminate waste products and toxins from your body. According to functional medicine expert, Mark Hyman, M.D., glutathione may protect against certain forms of cancer by neutralizing cancer radicals and promote anti-aging by ridding your body of free radicals.
Step 1
Eat foods rich in cystine, which is the dipeptide containing cysteine linked together. Cysteine is potentially toxic to humans and is degraded by your digestive tract; therefore, consuming free-form amino acid powder of cysteine is not beneficial, according to Alan Pressman and Sheila Buff, authors of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vitamins and Minerals." N-acetylcysteine supplements are safe to use and help boost glutamine levels for glutathione production. Foods that are rich in cysteine and cystine are broccoli, cauliflower, watercress, onions and other cruciferous vegetables. Eating these vegetables increases your intake of cysteine without the toxic effects and provides one of the components for your body to make glutathione.
Step 2
Consume bioactive whey protein powder. This is another rich source of cysteine, glutamine and glycine to encourage your body to make more glutathione. According to Pressman and Buff, adding up to 25 mg riboflavin or vitamin B-2 increases your body's ability to combine amino acids to make proteins. The combination of added whey protein with B-2 provides the recipe for boosting glutathione levels.
Step 3
Take 1000 to 5000 mg of glutamine powder. Glutamine powder is just as effective as glutamine tablets. The powder is tasteless and mixes with most beverages. Increasing your glutamine intake makes it available to combine with the cysteine eaten from cruciferous vegetables.
Step 4
Take 500 mg of vitamin C. Vitamin C along with vitamin E helps your body recycle glutathione that has been used to neutralize radicals in your body. Glutathione and vitamins C and E work in concert together in recharging each others' antioxidant abilities.
Step 5
Choose fresh fruits and vegetables to get more glutathione in your diet. Fruits such as avocados and vegetables -- such as fresh and uncooked spinach, tomatoes and carrots -- are rich sources of glutathione. Food sources of glutathione as opposed to supplements that contain glutathione raise your blood levels of the antioxidant. Your body digests glutathione into glutamine, cysteine and glycine -- therefore only raising your body stores of those amino acids.
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