Neem in the News: Glutathione, the “master antioxidant”

We spend a lot of time talking about antioxidants because they’re so important. They neutralize free radicals, which are implicated in diseases ranging from heart disease, cancer and arthritis to immune deficiencies, emphysema and even Alzheimer’s.

Perhaps even more importantly, according to some of the research that we’re reading, it boosts levels of glutathione, also known as the “master antioxidant.” Unlike most antioxidants which can easily be consumed, your body manufactures its own glutathione. (You can buy it as a supplement but research indicates that it should be injected not ingested.)

THIS REPORT IS PROVIDED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. NEEM TREE FARMS DOES NOT SELL PRODUCTS WHICH ARE INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, PREVENT OR CURE ANY DISEASE.

Which brings us back to why we’re writing this blog. We had a customer ask about liver disease so Vicki checked out the latest research at the National Institutes of Health. Glutathione kept popping up as a biological marker for a healthy liver. The lack of it showed with serious liver damage after rats were overdosed with acetaminophen.

Another customer asked about using neem in conjunction with standard chemotherapy. Up pops glutathione again. Cisplatin reduces glutathione, neural lipid peroxidation and nitrox oxide. Neem returned those critical markers to normal levels.

Neem even shows up as a potential agent for minimizing the impact of known cancer-causing chemicals because it boosts glutathione.

So what is glutathione?

We checked out some of the 149,942 research articles on glutathione. Near the top of the list was a review article written by researchers at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadephia. They report that “cause-and-effect links between GSH metabolism and diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cystic fibrosis (CF), HIV, and aging have been shown.”

Reporting a cause-and-effect link is an incredibly strong statement from medical researchers!

Which, of course, made us wonder exactly what this antioxidant could do for healthy people. The research got super complicated super quickly but then we found this great article with footnotes back to the original research.

A competitive athlete who became a nutritionist to save his own health, Chris Latham bullet points the benefits of glutathione for athletes:

• Increases energy
• Slows the aging process
• Reduces muscle and joint discomfort
• Detoxifies the liver and cells
• Improves mental focus and clarity
• Improves quality of sleep
• Reduces the effects of stress
• Aids athletic performance and recovery.

And if none of those are important to you, how about another report showing that glutathione improves skin wrinkles, elasticity, and sunspots?

Glutathione — just another reason to love our “Village Pharmacy!”