Re: Why is Cutler so against supplemental glutathione?

== His concerns are more nuanced than you understand. We hear this question frequently in the Yahoo groups and have plenty of information for you on it.

"..if glutathione doesn't help rid the body of mercury in any way, then why would you go to the trouble of taking gsh precursors..."

== Notice his explanation about glutathione (GSH) in the liver vs getting mercury (Hg) across the blood brain barrier, out of the brain and TO the liver as safely as possible.
http://onibasu.com/archives/am/1997.html

== Since cysteine is upstream from GSH he is using them almost interchangeably for this discussion.
http://mercuryandmore.weebly.com/methylation-figure.html

" ...he implies it's a good thing to increase gsh, then puts the kabash on actually taking gsh because it might make you worse -- which is it?

== That is nuanced in the post above. Notice that 40% or so of people with a Hg problem are sensitive to foods and supplements that have generous amounts of highly reactive SH/Thiol groups--cysteine, GSH, garlic, cilantro, chlorella, spinach, etc.

== When an inexpensive plasma cysteine test was available he strongly recommended it for those planning to use his protocol. It can make the process much smoother for some sensitive people when they reduce their intake of them. These are people who either make too much cysteine and/or can't convert it normally (more on that if requested) Now he more commonly recommends the thiol/sulfur exclusion diet.
http://livingnetwork.co.za/chelationnetwork/food/


"Since gsh is one of the body's primary means of ridding itself of toxins, it seems to only make sense that increasing gsh would help people who are trying to detox from a variety of substances.


== Consider the Gregus study where mice treated with ALA after injection of inorganic Hg excreted more Hg than untreated mice but still ended up with *more* Hg in the brain and organs. I can't imagine the treated mice would have been healthier even though they had less Hg in them. Our goal isn't to have less Hg in us but rather to be healthy. http://onibasu.com/archives/am/74605.html


"... I'd like to actually hear from one person who says taking extra gsh made them worse

== There have been countless reports in the detox groups from people who either had a nasty reaction to taking high thiol foods or supplements, or who felt much better by avoiding them in their diet. A few were fine before chelation but started to have problems when their dose of ALA--a high thiol supplement--became sufficiently high.

"...I never really know whether Andy's just saying things to shore up his opinion or whether he's actually SEEN people get worse from taking gsh...

== Remember he is a consultant for doctors so he does get case reports. I suspect he exaggerates a bit at times in the groups when people can become quite injured by a harmful practice. After years in the detox groups it really seems that those who make these mistakes need years of additional detox to fix the mistake. A close friend is one. BillyM joined the FDC group a few months after I did and I followed his many posts for a few years. He is another. Thankfully both are much improved but still have more work to do.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/frequent-dose-chelation/message/64260


"I've personally talked to Boyd Haley about his OSR product ... its primary method of action was to substantially increase gsh....

== Think about *how* it results in higher GSH levels!

== One way might be to help the body to make more GSH. The other might be to introduce other antioxidants that help to spare or protect GSH from oxidation. I bet that OSR, like DMSA works by sparing GSH. For example:
Results of DMSA Treatment Study, James Adams,et al
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15120628/Results-of-DMSA-Treatment-Study
Conclusions - benefits
•DMSA greatly increases excretion of lead, and some increase in excretion of tin, mercury,thallium.
•1 round of DMSA dramatically normalized glutathione levels for at least 1-2 months, and helped normalize platelet levels (marker of inflammation) for at least 4 months
•Severity of Autism Scale. Significant improvement in both groups

== Btw there was a recent discussion in FDC group on OSR's reincarnation. Studies are ongoing in Europe. You might search for NBMI, one of the newer names for it.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/frequent-dose-chelation/conversations/messages/156713

"...Andy's... gets very defensive at times...

== This was quite obvious in his older posts. He is much more gentlemanly now. Notice how gently he addresses the sad case at the link below. I followed the woman's posts for a couple of years and even exchanged many PMs with her. We really tried to help her, especially since she had a couple of pre-teen girls. It was sad. This is her hair test with the longest list of symptoms I've come across in the detox groups.
http://www.livingnetwork.co.za/files/hairtest_275.pdf
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/frequent-dose-chelation/message/73447

== Remember, Andy had a Hg problem. Intense, competitive mood is one of the symptoms. I had that bad enough that a doctor suggested I take a little Trileptal--mood stabilizer--for it after a Spect brain scan did not look so good:( However he, Dr Daniel Amen's associate, also told me that fish oil, other supplements, dietary and lifestyle changes can also help with mood.

== He was far more correct about that than I had dreamed! Some combination of more generous intake of fish oil--for brain repair--lecithin, vitamin D, lithium orotate supplements--very cool--magnesium, glutamine, and detox have been amazingly helpful in making me so much more chilled out. Today no one would think I needed a mood stabilizer. I often get compliments at work about my patience.

== Re Liposomal GSH. There is a post in the Yahoo Groups archives where AC is not so negative about it. Again some people are sensitive to foods and supplements high in thiols, so be alert for those symptoms.

== I hear that high sulfur foods and supplements feed yeast/candida. That problem is fairly common in detox groups.

== Remember, cysteine and GSH have just one SH/thiol group.
http://www.worldofmolecules.com/life/cysteine.htm

== In contrast, lipoic acid (DHLA) and the other chelators used in Cutler's protocol have two SH groups positioned to hold onto Hg somewhat more safely.
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/la/lastructure.html

== In short, thiol groups are very important but we must use them wisely. Tweet