Glutathione - How Does it Boost My Immune System?

Did you know that glutathione has an effect on your immune system? This means that the amount of glutathione you have in your cells has a direct bearing on whether or not you catch a virus and get sick or not. How would you like to get sick less often than you do now? Who wouldn't, you say?

Our human immune system is very complex, and goes beyond the scope of this page. However, there is new research coming out that demonstrates for a fact that glutathione is one of the most powerful supplements to boost your immune system. I am happy to share that research with you. It is important to understand the difference between our innate immune system, which we are born with, and our adaptive immune system, which in turn involves acquired immunity, which prepares your body to deal with future challenges.

In published medical studies, glutathione has been shown to boost the adaptive immune system, and so it is very important to boost glutathione levels in order to stay healthy and ward off illness. Glutathione is a balancer, so if your are immunodeficient, your immune system will get stronger. Glutathione boosts white blood cell production, particularly T-cells, which are responsible for fighting infections as you are exposed to them. If you have an auto-immune disorder, glutathione will re-balance your immune system. It "knows" what to do, and gets busy doing it.

The system that protects our immunity is very complex, and requires very precise interaction and raw materials to do it's job well. We can do our part to keep ours strong by eating well, resting, exercising, and boosting our immunity by raising and sustaining our glutathione levels.

There are a number of studies done using a special glutathione enhancer named Immunocal, which you will learn more about in the last article in this series. But for now, you can click on the link at the bottom of the article to view this information for yourself. There you can see some of the published studies that have been done using this supplement and its effect on the human immune system.

Note what some recognized medical professionals are now saying about glutathione and it's effect on the immune system based on this published research:

Dr. James Balch:

• Graduated with honors from the University of Indiana School of Medicine.
• Spent over 30 years as a urologist in private practice before devoting his career to nutritional healing.
• Member of the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, and board certified by the American Board of Urology.
• Is recognized as a prominent authority on nutrient healing.
• Is author of several books including the best seller, Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

"It's my opinion that everyone should be taking Immunocal. Today, there's no better way to boost your immune system. "

Dr. Wulf Droge:

• A world renowned research scientist and Senior Vice-President, Research & Development, Immunotec Inc.
• Has over 250 publications and is internationally known in the field of redox physiology and aging research.
• Has over 40 years of active experience in basic and clinical research.
• For almost 30 years he served as professor of immunology and cell biology at the University of Heidelberg and head of the Department of Immunochemistry at the National Cancer Research Center of Germany.
• Was the first to describe the effect of glutathione on the immune response.

"Many studies of my laboratory at the German Cancer Research Center support the conclusion that Immunocal is effective in maintaining a strong immune system . . . Through its special structural properties, Immunocal overcomes a cellular deficiency that is most commonly seen in old age ... This deficiency affects most notably the cells of the immune system and is associated with an increased incidence of infections. Elderly people are therefore the first to feel the benefits if regularly consuming Immunocal . . . young people are well advised to also consume Immunocal regularly. It is good advice to be prepared at all times."

Dr. Jimmy Gutman, MD, FACEP :

• Author of several best selling books on glutathione.
• Former professor at McGill University Medical school
• Original specialty was emergency medicine
• Currently practices family medicine and appears on numerous TV and radio shows discussing the role of glutathione in health and disease.

Note his comments taken from his latest bestseller,"Glutathione - Your Key to Health":

"The immune system uses various cells to fight off infection and other threats and the healthy growth and activity of these cells depends upon the availability of glutathione (GSH)...Glutathione is at the heart of all immune functions and low GSH levels are seen in many diseases, especially AIDS which is characterized by a severely compromised immune system. Raising and maintaining GSH levels can minimize the risk of these diseases...Without question, the best type of preventive medicine is an optimized immune system and a critical strategy to optimize it is by feeding it GSH."

These immune system research studies and resulting comments by medical professionals have formed the basis for Immunocal to make the claim that it is the only dietary supplement scientifically proven to consistently raise glutathione levels and thereby enhance the human immune system. Immunocal works by giving your body the building blocks you need to make it in your cells, which you will learn more about in Article 6 of this series. You can't just take a glutathione pill!

Copyright 2009 Immune Health Solutions: You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact.

Laura McCallum is a teacher, community volunteer, and owner of Immune Health Solutions, a wellness health consulting company. She regularly consults with medical professionals, and enjoys publishing the latest information about your immune system and glutathione. She believes in giving her readers the information they need to take charge of their own health. For more information, please visit immune system research for free online access to published medical studies about glutathione and your immune system!