Atopic dermatitis and psoriasis: How glutathione can help

Glutathione is a master antioxidant and one of the most abundant antioxidants in our bodies. There are also some whole foods that are naturally high in glutathione. Health benefits include reducing inflammation, fighting harmful free radicals, anti-aging, and even reducing heavy metal load in the body.

But that’s not all: Glutathione also has benefits for the skin!

Many people believe that glutathione can give skin a youthful, radiant appearance . Studies show that this antioxidant can provide an overall brighter skin tone, reduce dark spots, diminish blemishes, and minimize the appearance of acne scars.

Certain skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis, are chronic diseases. There are not many long-term treatments or cures for these conditions. Preliminary research and personal experience suggest that glutathione supplementation may help reduce the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

What will you learn in this article?

1. Glutathione as an antioxidant

2. Benefits of Glutathione and Skin Care

3. Other nutrients for skin health

4. Glutathione in skin creams

5. Glutathione foods

6. How to increase glutathione naturally

7. ActiNovo-Glutathion

1. Glutathione as an antioxidant

Glutathione is an important antioxidant in our body and is found in almost every cell. This sulfur-containing nutrient is produced in the liver. The areas of the body with the highest concentration of glutathione are the liver, red blood cells and white blood cells. This master antioxidant has the ability to protect our DNA from free radicals and regenerate other antioxidants. In particular, it can regenerate vitamins C and E.

Why should we care about protecting our body from free radicals and oxidative stress?

In many chronic diseases, the concentration of glutathione in the body is significantly reduced [1]. This means that low glutathione concentration can cause an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation . Low glutathione concentration can be an indicator of various diseases or acute stress [2]. For more information about glutathione as an antioxidant, see our blog article here.

Chronic skin diseases such as neurodermatitis or psoriasis can benefit from the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support provided by glutathione.

2. Benefits of Glutathione and Skin Care

What is neurodermatitis and atopic dermatitis?

Neurodermatitis is a skin disease. One or two red and itchy patches of skin characterize this skin disease. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, non-contagious skin disease. While neurodermatitis is limited to one or two patches, AD can spread over the entire body [3]. The causes of these diseases are not yet fully understood, and the condition is different for each person.

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a non-contagious, inflammatory autoimmune disease . The most common form of psoriasis is the so-called "plaque psoriasis". This form of psoriasis is mainly characterized by red patches covered with white or silvery scales. These patches can be itchy and painful. Joints, ligaments, organs and even the eyes can be affected.

Several studies suggest that antioxidant dysfunction and an overactive immune system are involved in the development of psoriasis [4]. There is no official cure for plaque psoriasis, but there are many treatments that help control the symptoms of the disease.

How can glutathione reduce oxidative stress and help the skin?

Research suggests that oxidative stress plays an important role in atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and other skin diseases. Oxidative stress directly damages the cellular structures of the skin, increasing inflammation and weakening the skin barrier, making the skin vulnerable to infections.

Glutathione is a major component of the cells' antioxidant defense system . Research has shown that this antioxidant can regulate our immune system and control inflammation. Since glutathione can mediate inflammatory and immune responses, studies have investigated whether glutathione supplementation can affect skin conditions [5].

Glutathione and psoriasis

Many dermatologists and clinicians wonder if glutathione is good for psoriasis. Some research shows that psoriasis may be associated with increased oxidative stress and decreased glutathione (GSH) levels [6]. Studies suggest that glutathione supplementation may lead to a significant reduction in psoriasis symptoms.

In a small clinical study, participants diagnosed with psoriasis consumed a special type of whey protein. Whey protein contains high levels of the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine ​​helps maintain adequate levels of glutathione in the body [7]. Study participants reported an improvement in psoriasis symptoms after consuming whey protein. Symptoms improved even when participants were not taking other psoriasis medications [8]. It is unclear whether the reduction in symptoms was due to the increased levels of glutathione in the body or to other components of whey protein.

In a small clinical report, a 35-year-old woman was given a glutathione supplement for psoriasis. She had been suffering from scalp psoriasis for two years. Doctors gave her 5000 mg of intravenous glutathione. She found that her scalp psoriasis improved by almost 40-50% two weeks after the injection. After three months, new lesions began to develop on her scalp again. Doctors gave her a second dose of glutathione, and she observed similar improvements in her psoriasis [9]. Further research is needed to determine whether the effect of glutathione supplementation is only seen on scalp psoriasis.

3. Other nutrients for skin health

Other vitamins, such as vitamin D and vitamin C , can also be of great benefit to the skin.

Many people know that vitamin D is important for our bone health . But this vitamin is also an important factor in the immune function of our skin. In a study of people with moderate to severe psoriasis, the vitamin D levels of patients with psoriasis were significantly lower than those of people without psoriasis. In addition, the lower the vitamin D levels, the more severe the psoriasis was. [9].

You can find out more about the study we conducted on our vitamin D3+K2 here.

Other studies found that taking a high dose of vitamin D could improve the symptoms of psoriasis [10]. The results suggest that vitamin D levels may have a crucial impact on psoriasis symptoms and the skin disease in general. Want to learn more about vitamin D? Click here.

Vitamin C is another antioxidant that helps maintain healthy skin. Some doctors prescribe high doses of vitamin C to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation associated with skin diseases. Supplementation is often used for preventative reasons . Vitamin C is able to reduce free radicals formed in the skin and reduce inflammation. These effects could be beneficial in treating atopic dermatitis and psoriasis symptoms [11]. Want to learn more about vitamin C? Click here.

Here at ActiNovo, we believe in addressing skin health from the inside out!

4. Glutathione in skin creams

Some manufacturers have launched skin creams that contain glutathione . Often, creams containing glutathione are purchased to lighten the skin and even out the skin tone. The antioxidant may be able to reduce the enzyme involved in the formation of melanin, suggesting that glutathione may help lighten the skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots.

Skin creams containing glutathione are often used to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis, neurodermatitis and atopic dermatitis. Unlike glutathione infusions or taking dietary supplements, there is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of these creams.

5. Glutathione foods

A balanced diet is one of the best ways to nourish your skin from the inside out! Here are some foods rich in glutathione antioxidants :

• Avocado

• asparagus

• Red meat

• Walnuts

• Boiled potatoes

• spinach

• Cruciferous vegetables

• Vegetables

Although these are food sources high in glutathione , the antioxidant content in the diet varies, and most people probably only consume 50 to 60 mg of glutathione per day from their diet [12] [13] [14].

6. How to increase glutathione naturally

Glutathione is an amino acid that is essentially made up of a combination of different proteins . Adequate protein intake is essential for the body to maintain adequate glutathione levels. Registered dietitians recommend that 10-30% of total calories per day should come from protein . Studies have shown that consuming whey protein can increase glutathione levels more than other types of protein [15].

In addition, the body also needs sufficient magnesium to produce glutathione. The enzymes that produce glutathione depend on an adequate supply of magnesium [16]. Therefore, low glutathione levels could be due to a magnesium deficiency.

7. ActiNovo-Glutathion

Conventional oral glutathione supplements are poorly absorbed. In conventional supplements, the glutathione is likely to be broken down into its individual amino acids before it is absorbed, thereby reducing the effectiveness of glutathione.

This changes with liposomal glutathione!

Liposomal glutathione has the advantage of increasing absorption . When glutathione is encapsulated in liposomes, the antioxidant can be efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream.

Our ActiNovo Glutathione study speaks for itself!

Study participants took either ActiNovo's liposomal glutathione or a standard glutathione tablet supplement . Both groups took a 500 mg dose of the antioxidant. Over the course of 7 days, there was an increase in total glutathione in the liposomal group. There was no increase in the standard group. Our study shows that ActiNovo's liposomal glutathione has 63 times the bioavailability of a standard supplement!

You can find out more about our study here.

We offer Glutathione Pure with a natural taste. Glutathione Plus is flavored with mango and dragon fruit flavors.

[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022214300273290 [