Green tea can boost glutathione

June 19, 2013
Glutathione is the main, and possibly most important, antioxidant directly produced by the body. During various disease states, however, its production can be limited, thereby increasing systemic states of oxidative stress, or damage, in the body. Green tea consumption has been shown to significantly increase blood levels of glutathione, thereby raising systemic antioxidant capacity. This study compared green tea (4 cups per day), green tea extract, and placebo on the effects of antioxidant protection in those with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a very common condition nowadays with risk factors being: abdominal obesity, high serum triglycerides, high blood pressure, high fasting blood sugar, insulin resistance, and low HDL cholesterol. This increases ones risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s disease. Those that consumed the green tea or the green tea extract increased their glutathione over 134% and total antioxidant capacity by over 150%. Increased antioxidant capacity helps protect against the ravages of the above mentioned disease processes that are so prevalent today.

Reference:
Green tea supplementation increases glutathione and plasma antioxidant capacity in adults with the metabolic syndrome Nutrition Research. 2013 Mar. Volume 33, Issue 3 , Pages 180-187