Re: glutamine and leaky gut

L-Glutamine was effective for me in the tablets, two 500mg tablets three times a day. After a while I only took two tablets a day. Also important to me was to watch my diet and not eat ANYTHING that gave me gas. For a while I had to eliminate all raw food, my intestines were so bad.

Glutamine is not the same thing as glutathione. L-glutamine is an amino acid, and glutathione is an antidoxidant, but the precursors are amino acids, glycine,glutamate and cysteine. Glutamate and Glutamine are different, as well. Glutathione is a poor supplement to take orally.


http://www.cfsn.com/agegsh.html



AGING & GLUTATHIONE

Reduced glutathione all by itself is a powerful and important antioxidant. It is also the base material for several other important antioxidant enzymes including glutathione-peroxidase, glutathione-reductase, and glutathione-transferase.

Oxidation damage is now recognized as being the key feature of many ailments of old age. Cataracts, and macular eye degeneration being two notable examples.

A key to living better, as long as we live, is to resist age related deterioration due to oxidation. There are studies with animals and insects that suggest having life long antioxidants above the minimum RDA levels, may actually help us to live longer.

With the AIDS crisis much has been learned about the critical roles of glutathione in maintaining a healthy immune system. This and other research has indicated that trauma, exercise, stress, sustained immune response, persistent exposure to environmental toxins, malnutrition, and getting older, all deplete and depress glutathione levels below the critical levels required for strong immunities, slow aging, and long life.

According to James F. Balch MD and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.: Prescription for Nutritional Healing - Second Edition

"As we age, glutathione levels decline, although it is not known whether this is because we use it more rapidly or produce less of it to begin with. Unfortunately, if not corrected, the lack of glutathione in turn accelerates the aging process."

In their book, the Balch' s contend that glutathione itself is a poor supplement to take orally, since it is expensive, and of questionable use in boosting liver and intracellular glutathione levels. They instead recommend taking the amino acid precursors to boost glutathione.

From research we learn that glutathione taken orally usually breaks down in the gut, and that the cysteine molecule is too reactive to maintain a viable form long enough to reach the cells that manufacture glutathione.

NAC (N-acetyl L-cysteine) is the superior form of cysteine for oral supplementation. It is more stable, and reliably transports from the gut to the cells that manufacture glutathione.

NAC is a natural form of amino acid for humans. The human kidney creates NAC from glutathione as part of its natural processes.