Glutathione is an endogenous tripeptide and a major intracellular antioxidant involved in detoxification and redox balance. It sells as a legal oral supplement, but injectable and IV forms carry no FDA approval, and human evidence for those uses stays limited. Educational only, not medical advice.
An endogenous tripeptide (glutamate-cysteine-glycine) that is a major intracellular antioxidant and cofactor for glutathione peroxidase, participating in redox balance, detoxification (phase II conjugation), and protection against oxidative stress.
Half-life
Short for circulating/exogenous glutathione (minutes for IV); orally it is substantially broken down, with variable systemic bioavailability.
Regulatory status
Not FDA-approved as a drug. Sold legally as an oral dietary supplement under DSHEA. Injectable/IV glutathione is not FDA-approved; FDA has warned about its use in compounded sterile injectables and there is no approved injectable product. Skin-lightening claims are not FDA-approved.
Safety
Oral supplementation is generally well tolerated. IV use carries sterility, dosing, and compounding-quality risks, and rare serious reactions (including reports linked to skin-lightening infusions, e.g., Stevens-Johnson-type reactions) have been raised; skin-lightening efficacy/safety is not established.
Evidence
Endogenous molecule with strong basic science; clinical-supplement efficacy data are mixed and bioavailability-limited. IV/cosmetic uses have limited rigorous human evidence.
Sources
Wu G, Fang YZ, Yang S, Lupton JR, Turner ND. Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health. Journal of Nutrition. 2004;134(3):489-492. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14988435/
Richie JP, Nichenametla S, Neidig W, et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. European Journal of Nutrition. 2015;54(2):251-263. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24791752/
Sinha R, Sinha I, Calcagnotto A, et al. Oral supplementation with liposomal glutathione elevates body stores of glutathione and markers of immune function. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2018;72(1):105-111. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28853742/
Kalamkar S, Acharya J, Madathil A, et al. Randomized clinical trial of how long-term glutathione supplementation offers protection from oxidative damage and improves HbA1c in elderly type 2 diabetic patients. Antioxidants. 2022;11(5):1026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35624883/
Sechi G, Deledda MG, Bua G, et al. Reduced intravenous glutathione in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 1996;20(7):1159-1170. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8938817/
Hauser RA, Lyons KE, McClain T, Carter S, Perlmutter D. Randomized, double-blind, pilot evaluation of intravenous glutathione in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders. 2009;24(7):979-983. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19230029/
Mischley LK, Leverenz JB, Lau RC, et al. A randomized, double-blind phase I/IIa study of intranasal glutathione in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders. 2015;30(12):1696-1701. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26230671/
Weschawalit S, Thongthip S, Phutrakool P, Asawanonda P. Glutathione and its antiaging and antimelanogenic effects. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 2017;10:147-153. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28490897/
PepWise is an informational and educational tracking tool, not medical advice and not a medical device. Glutathione may be experimental, restricted, or prescription-only; many research peptides are not FDA-approved. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, changing, or stopping any protocol. Operated by STC Consulting, Inc.
