The COVID-19 pandemic has seen consequential health responses in many people, especially for those of older age or who are living with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Increased inflammation has been identified as a common response associated with COVID-19 and virus-related instances of organ failure.
Glutathione, otherwise referred to as GSH, is an antioxidant that is found in all body tissues. The simple role of an antioxidant is to protect against cell and tissue damage. GSH plays a key role in many physiological processes from detoxification, defense against viruses, protein folding, immune response, as well as acting as a biomarker for chronic and age-related diseases.
So, what is Glutathione (GSH) and how does it relate to inflammation and COVID-19?
In many health conditions, GSH levels have been identified as suboptimal or deficient. However, increasing GSH status has been shown to reduce symptoms associated with certain chronic conditions. This is also true for COVID-19 where GSH has been shown to help reduce the severity of symptoms by reducing inflammation that is associated with the virus.
Why is this important to know?
Well, in cases where individuals have diabetes, hypertension, or other health conditions, the inflammatory response associated with acquiring COVID-19 may be much greater. Therefore, increasing GSH levels through dietary foods or supplements could help to reduce the inflammatory effects of COVID-19 and the severity of symptoms. More importantly, increasing GSH levels may also help to improve symptoms related to other chronic health conditions.
GSH can be found as supplements but also in foods like asparagus, avocado, spinach, green beans, papaya, and cucumber.
Sources:
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/7/624
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770193/
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical or dietary advice.
