Glutathione
WellnessIM / IV / SQ Therapy
In plain English
Glutathione is the body's main built-in antioxidant, used to neutralize harmful molecules and support detox pathways. It is given by IV, inhaler, nasal spray, or capsule in wellness settings, often for "detox," skin brightening, or general antioxidant support. Rigorous human evidence for most of these uses is limited; the best-studied area (Parkinson's disease) has shown mixed results. It is generally well tolerated.
The science
Glutathione (γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine) is the principal intracellular thiol antioxidant and a cofactor for detoxification enzymes. Clinical testing is most developed in Parkinson's disease: an early open-label study reported symptomatic improvement (Sechi et al., 1996), but a randomized, double-blind pilot of IV glutathione (Hauser et al., Mov Disord 2009; n=21) found good tolerability with no statistically significant benefit versus placebo, and an intranasal RCT (Mischley et al., 2015) was similarly inconclusive. Evidence for skin-lightening, "detox," and general wellness claims is weak. Oral bioavailability is poor (favoring liposomal/parenteral routes). These uses are largely off-label/not FDA-approved.
References
- Hauser RA et al., Mov Disord 2009 (randomized IV pilot)
- Sechi G et al., Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1996 (open-label)