Glutathione, a molecule formed by the combination of three amino acids, is a critical regulator of your cells' health. Dr. Elson Haas, author of "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," states that glutathione is "absolutely essential for maintaining electrochemical balance in many cells." Glutathione's ability to neutralize free radicals and eliminate many environmental toxins makes it an indispensable antioxidant. In conditions where systemic inflammation contributes to tissue damage -- diabetes is typified by such inflammatory changes -- glutathione is particularly important.
Inflammation
According to Dr. Darwin Deen at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, type 2 diabetes and its precursor, metabolic syndrome, are characterized by increased serum levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, uric acid and other markers of tissue inflammation. These changes are driven by an underlying resistance to insulin, which leads to abnormal glucose metabolism and the production of a variety of potentially toxic compounds, such as sorbitol, advanced glycation end products and triacylglycerols. Glutathione plays a pivotal role in dealing with many of these inflammatory substances.
Complications
Chronic systemic inflammation is at the root of many of the complications arising from diabetes. Ongoing injury to your nerves and the inner layers of your blood vessels leads to a markedly increased incidence of heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy, retinal damage and kidney failure that are the hallmarks of diabetes. In fact, diabetes is the leading worldwide cause of blindness, end-stage kidney disease and amputations, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Glutathione Deficiency
A study from Baylor College of Medicine published in the October 2010 issue of "Diabetes Care" demonstrated that glutathione levels are decreased in diabetic patients, particularly those whose disease is poorly controlled. The reason for this decrease is twofold: A state of heightened inflammation in diabetes leads to increased consumption of this important antioxidant, and diabetics apparently don't synthesize glutathione normally due to a lack of precursors. Supplementation with two of the three amino acids -- glutamate, cysteine and glycine -- needed to manufacture glutathione may help to correct glutathione deficiency in diabetics.
Recommendation
Glutathione is a tripeptide molecule constructed from the amino acids glutamate, cysteine and glycine. Cysteine and glycine deficiencies have been documented in diabetics, and these deficits contribute to lower levels of glutathione. In one clinical trial conducted at Baylor College of Medicine and published in the October 2010 issue of "Diabetes Care," supplementation with cysteine and glycine at approximately 45 mg per pound of body weight per day for each amino acid replenished glutathione stores in 12 diabetic patients. At this dosage, a 155-pound person would take about 7 g of each amino acid daily. Ask your doctor if amino acid supplements are appropriate for you.
References
- "Staying Healthy with Nutrition"; Elson M. Haas, M.D.; 2006
- "American Family Physician"; Metabolic Syndrome: Time for Action; D. Deen; June 2004
- "Diabetes Care"; Glutathione Synthesis is Diminished in Patients with Uncontrolled Diabetes and Restored by Dietary Supplementation with Cysteine and Glycine; R.V. Sekhar, et al.; October 2010
- "Metabolism"; Preliminary Report: Amino Acid Profile in Platelets of Diabetic Patients; G. De Luca, et al.; July 2001
