By Josh Redd, MS, DABFM, DAAIM, Chiropractic Physician

Antioxidants are a buzz word in health circles that sometimes deliver empty promises. But when it comes to autoimmune Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, one antioxidant is a must-have in your protocol kit: Glutathione. Glutathione is considered the body’s master antioxidant and you need it dampen autoimmune disease and lower your risk of developing new autoimmune diseases.

Glutathione protects cells from damage, supports general detoxification, acts as a natural chelator for toxic heavy metals and environmental toxins, and supports healthy immune system function. Glutathione works by protect energy-producing factories inside cells called “mitochondria.”

Antioxidants are molecules that inhibit other molecules from going through oxidation, a chemical reaction that produces toxins called free radicals.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that occur naturally but that also enter our bodies through toxins in food, air, water, and even medications. Left unchecked, free radicals damage cells, destabilize the immune system, and contribute to the development of serious health problems.

Glutathione is a compound made by the body that protects cells and tissues from damage by free radicals. While the body makes glutathione, it can also be supplemented in absorbable forms or via nutrients that boost glutathione production.

Normally, our bodies should make enough glutathione to protect us. However, it’s common for glutathione to drop too low in our modern world. We cope with thousands of toxic chemicals in our daily environment, in our food, and our water, even if we lead a very clean, non-toxic life. Sugary diets full of processed foods, food intolerances, leaky gut, and undiagnosed infections are other examples of things that can deplete glutathione due to the chronic inflammatory assaults on the cells.

Glutathione levels also decrease as we age and our need for supplemental glutathione increases significantly.

When glutathione production drops, you are more vulnerable to developing autoimmune disease, chronic pain, chemical sensitivities, leaky gut, and other immune-related disorders.

In fact, glutathione depletion is linked with a number of disease states and groups:

  • Aging
  • Athletic overtraining
  • Major injuries and trauma
  • Patients with wasting diseases such as HIV and AIDS
  • Lung cancer
  • Gut-based diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Alcoholism and fatty liver disease
  • Diabetes and low glucose tolerance
  • Cancer

One of the most important things you can do to improve glutathione status is to remove or mitigate stressors that deplete glutathione. These may include lack of sleep, smoking, food intolerances, diets high in sugars and processed foods, excess alcohol intake, and hormone or immune imbalances.

If you have Hashimoto’s, this typically also means going on a gluten-free diet, as many studies show a connection between Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and a gluten intolerance or celiac disease.