Hi Lisa,Maybe some of the scientists on the board can give you the best reason why sublingual L-Glutathione (GSH) works so fast.
This is only what I've read.
L-Glutathione is an amino acid made up of cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid. Stomach acid destroys glutathione so can't take it orally.
That's why folks take the amino acid, NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) a sulphur amino acid
orally which is the precursor to glutathione. Stomach acid does not destroy NAC.
For new readers, never take L-cysteine by itself because it can raise your homocysteine levels; bad for the heart & blood vessels.
L-Cysteine alone acts like a Brillo pad tearing & inflamming the inside of the blood vessels. I would never take plain
L-cysteine.
Back to GSH.
It is a powerful detoxifier. That's the understatement of the year!
IMHO, GSH works fast because your taking it sublingually which, as I'm sure you know, is absorbed immediately into the blood stream which bypasses the first pass through the liver.
Also, amino acids, generally speaking, tend to work fast-----some within hours. That's why I like them. It's not like building up your mineral reserves which take can take a while.
GSH is a neurotransmitter which affects the nerves/brain. This is probably key for me because my nerves have been fried after years without a diagnosis.
Because GSH contains sulphur in the form of cysteine, it is the sulphur that strengthens the overall body.
Especially in chronic illness oral NAC is recommended. It then converts to glutathione.
Here's more of my amateur opinion on this:
Even though glutathione is an antioxidant, I don't think I'm getting such a big dose of GSH when I take a Twinlab 100 mg sublingually to adversely affect ABX. Twinlab is not even the "reduced" kind & it still helps me.
I'm going to use my Twinlab GSH until it runs out, but am very excited about trying the "reduced glutathione" which is biologically more active in the body.
If I were going to take my oral NAC of 750 mg, then I take it far away from ABX. Don't know if the 2-hour rule about taking supplements away from ABX applies to GSH.
Or, if you take an ABX holiday, that'd be a great time to up you GSH levels.
As far as GSH being contraindicated with thyroid----
I've always heard it's a good idea to take thyroid away from anything else. But that's strictly up to your physician & what works best for you.
Let me go find my best links about glutathione. I'll place them in my next reply.
Hope this helps a little. The links can really explain this much better.
Take Care,
Jan