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Peptides / Glutathione

Can be compoundedAntioxidant tripeptideNot FDA approved

Glutathione

Glutathione is a small peptide of three amino acids (glutamate, cysteine and glycine) that every cell makes. It is the body's main antioxidant and helps the liver neutralise toxins. Clinics sell it as intravenous drips and injections, often promoted for skin lightening, detox and energy.

Used for
Antioxidant, skin, liver support
FDA status
8 yes, 5 no, 1 abstain (2022)
Strongest evidence
Small human studies
Legal to compound in the US
Yes, with a prescription

Effects studied or claimed

What it is promoted for, and where each effect has actually been seen

  • Neutralises harmful oxidising moleculesEstablished biology
  • Lighter skin toneSmall human trials, mixed
  • Symptom relief in Parkinson's diseaseSmall trials, no clear benefit
  • Better liver tests in fatty liver diseaseSmall human studies

How it is thought to work

It donates electrons to neutralise reactive oxygen molecules and binds toxins so the liver can clear them. Whether extra glutathione from outside meaningfully raises levels inside cells is still debated.

What the evidence shows

In animals and the lab

Large body of lab and animal work on its role as an antioxidant.

In people

Many small human studies with mixed results. Trials in Parkinson's disease did not show clear benefit over placebo, skin-lightening studies are small and inconsistent, and pills are poorly absorbed, although some studies show body levels rise with long-term use.

Safety and unknowns

Generally well tolerated. Intravenous drips carry the usual infection and reaction risks of any infusion. Inhaled glutathione can trigger breathing problems in people with asthma.

Regulatory status

The FDA's compounding advisory committee voted 8 to 5, with 1 abstention, in June 2022 to add it to the list of ingredients pharmacies may use. While the FDA finishes its decision, glutathione sits in Category 1, which means the FDA allows pharmacies to compound it in the meantime.

Compounded products are not FDA approved: the FDA does not check them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are sold. Use only a licensed pharmacy with a prescription.

Sources

Analysis

The master antioxidant, and the limits of drips

Peptide Evidence IndexBiology 8.5/10In people 3/10Index 4.4, rank 5 of 15See the full index

Glutathione is made by every cell and is the body's main internal antioxidant. Low levels are linked to ageing and to diseases such as Parkinson's, which is why it is offered in IV drips, injections and supplements for energy, detox, skin lightening and brain health.

The trial evidence is mixed. A small randomised trial gave IV glutathione for four weeks to about 20 people with Parkinson's disease: it was safe and well tolerated, but any improvement over placebo was too small to be conclusive, and larger trials confirming a benefit have not followed (Hauser and colleagues, 2009). Oral supplements were long assumed to be useless because the gut breaks glutathione down, but a six-month trial found that 1,000 mg a day did raise stored glutathione in blood and other tissues (Richie and colleagues, 2015). For skin, a four-week study in Thailand reported a modest lightening effect from oral glutathione (Arjinpathana and Asawanonda, 2012), which helped fuel the trend for whitening injections in Asia.

Our view. the strongest case is for oral supplements raising body levels; whether that improves health is unproven. Regulators in the Philippines and elsewhere have warned against high-dose glutathione injections for skin lightening because of safety concerns.

Studies and reports cited

  1. Hauser RA et al. Randomized, double-blind, pilot evaluation of intravenous glutathione in Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord, 2009
  2. Richie JP et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. Eur J Nutr, 2015
  3. Arjinpathana N, Asawanonda P. Glutathione as an oral whitening agent: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Dermatolog Treat, 2012

Summary of published research for general information. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation to use this substance.

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General information, not medical advice. Do not buy or inject unregulated peptides.