Glutathione for Anemia: Does it Help and Why?

Why Glutathione helps reduce Anemia

Glutathione helps reduce anemia because it lowers the level of oxidative stress in the body, which damages the cells.

Accordingly, it helps protect the cells and keep them healthy, allowing them to properly regenerate, especially hemoglobin, red cell enzymes, and biological cell membranes. This decreases the destruction of blood cells and protects against any deficiency, which aids in reducing the risk of anemia.

How Glutathione works for Anemia

Glutathione works to reduce oxidative stress by removing heavy metals, toxins, and poisons out of the body. It does this by binding to toxins and heavy metals and neutralizing them.

Glutathione S-transferase enzyme helps glutathione to plant itself on the toxin and flag it as hazardous. Accordingly, glutathione can allow the toxin’s transformation into mercapturic acid, which can be flushed out of the body in urine.

This mechanism lowers the levels of oxidative stress in the body, and reduces the risks of anemia because red blood cells become well protected, allowing them to properly function in the body.

Glutathione Dose for Anemia: How much to Take

The general supplementation of glutathione that may manage anemia can be given through multiple forms that include:

• Capsules: glutathione capsules usually come encapsulated with microscopic liposomes, which are tiny globules surrounded by a lipid bilayer similar to your cell membranes. It is considered the best oral form since the liposome protects the main drug from metabolic processes and enzymes during its delivery to the targeted area. The recommended daily dose is between 50mg/day and 600mg/day or 20-40mg of body weight, taken 2-3 times per day.
• Intravenous therapy: this is the most effective form of glutathione but is also the most invasive. The recommended dose is between 1,500mg to 4,000mg  once or twice per week. The dose can either be administered in a clinic or at home if the doctor prescribes it.
• Glutathione powder: This form is either taken with water or fortified in foods or cosmetic products. It is not highly recommended to take glutathione powder because once fortified, it loses its function. And, if mixed with water, powder effect will diminish because, unlike capsules, it does not Include liposomes that protect glutathione from metabolic processes during ingestion.
• The recommended daily dose ranges between 50mg/day and 600mg/day or 20-40mg of body weight, taken 2-3 times per day.
• Inhaled nebulizer: the recommended dosage of this form is 600mg daily, but it needs a medical prescription, especially that people with specific conditions like asthma should not use this. The glutathione is used as a liquid form and put in the nebulizer. The instruction of usage will be given by the doctor or health expert.

If patients have anemia while undergoing chronic hemodialysis, the recommended dosage of reduced glutathione is 1,200mg intravenously.

However, more research is needed to ensure the most effective dosage and form of glutathione to be given for anemic patients. Dosages should always be consulted by the doctor in order to revise each person’s personal case according to age and medical condition, if any.

Taking Glutathione for Anemia: precautions

If you are taking glutathione, you need to avoid drinking alcohol as it could interfere with the absorption of the supplement in the body. This is because alcohol increases the rate of depletion of glutathione.

High doses of paracetamol, a drug used to treat fever and pain, could also deplete glutathione, especially in the liver.

People should be aware of mixing medications since glutathione may have a negative interaction with anti-psychotic or chemotherapeutic drugs.

People with certain medical conditions:

People with the following conditions should be careful and always check before taking glutathione:

• Allergies: People who have allergies can possibly have a reaction to glutathione which might lead to a skin rash.
• Asthma: If you have asthma, do not inhale glutathione through a nebulizer as it can increase asthma symptoms including wheezing.
• Other conditions: people should consult their doctor about taking glutathione if they have liver, kidney, or heart problems.

Taking Glutathione for Anemia: side effects

If you take glutathione, some side effects can take place such as abdominal cramps, bloating, cough or hoarseness, frequent urge to have bowel movement, and straining while passing stool.

In addition, taking glutathione for a long period of time can lower zinc levels.