Glutathione quick reference
What is Glutathione?
Antioxidant tripeptide your body already makes.
Used for skin brightening and antioxidant support.
No FDA-approved injectable glutathione medicine.
How Glutathione works
Neutralizes reactive oxygen, then is recycled.
Helps liver reactions that clear compounds.
One 3 g oral dose barely raised blood levels (1992).
Six months of capsules did raise levels (2015).
What Glutathione is studied for
1,000 mg/day for 6 months raised levels 30-35%.
500 mg/day for 4 weeks lowered melanin at 2 of 6 sites.
NK cell activity more than doubled at 3 months on 1,000 mg.
1,400 mg three times weekly for 4 weeks (21 people).
100 or 200 mg three times daily for 3 months.
Glutathione dosing protocol
| Route studied | Amount in the human trial |
|---|---|
| Oral | 250 or 1,000 mg a day for 6 months (54 adults) |
| IV (Parkinson's) | 1,400 mg 3 times a week for 4 weeks (21 people) |
| Nasal spray (Parkinson's) | 100 or 200 mg 3 times a day for 3 months (45 people) |
| Under the skin or muscle | No human trial found |
From Richie JP et al. Eur J Nutr 2015, Hauser RA et al. Mov Disord 2009 and Mischley LK et al. J Parkinsons Dis 2017. These are trial schedules, not labels.
Label and trial amounts come from the sources below. Community amounts are what people report; they have not been tested.
Mixing
Community method. Discard cloudy or strong-smelling vials.
What the research found
Oral trial: 54 non-smoking adults, 6 months. Change in glutathione levels versus start:
Richie JP et al. Eur J Nutr 2015 (PubMed 24791752). In Parkinson's trials, neither IV nor nasal glutathione beat placebo.
Glutathione community experience
What users report. Not tested in trials.
Positive reports
- Brighter skin Gradual; noticed after about 4-8 weeks.
- Energy and clarity Some notice it within days to weeks.
- Liposomal oral Reported as steadier than plain capsules.
Negative & mixed
- Injection sting Pain and large volumes recur.
- Start-up symptoms Headache, fatigue, dizziness, flu-like feeling.
- No effect Many notice nothing after weeks.
Glutathione stacking
Antioxidant plus energy idea. Not studied together.
NAC supplies cysteine to make glutathione. Not tested as a stack.
Glutathione helps recycle oxidized vitamin C.
Glutathione side effects & safety
Common
- Oral and IV trials: side effects similar to placebo.
- Injection-site pain or redness.
- Headache, dizziness or tiredness.
- Skin lightening, wanted or not.
- Large volumes needed for high doses.
Less common
- One high-dose nasal user developed cardiomyopathy.
- Allergic reactions are possible with injectables.
- Infection risk from badly made injectables.
Precautions
- Known allergy to glutathione: avoid.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: little data.
- Cloudy or discolored vials: do not use.
- FDA calls injectable skin-lightening products unapproved and unsafe.
- Chemotherapy and other drugs: ask a doctor.
Our verdict on Glutathione
Oral and IV human data exist. Injectable skin-lightening use is unapproved and unproven.
Glutathione FAQ
Does glutathione lighten skin?
Oral 500 mg for 4 weeks lightened some sites a little.
Is injectable glutathione FDA approved?
No. No injectable skin-lightening drug is approved.
Does oral glutathione absorb?
One 3 g dose did not; six months of capsules did.
Sources
- Richie JP et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral glutathione supplementation on body stores of glutathione. Eur J Nutr 2015
- Hauser RA et al. Randomized, double-blind, pilot evaluation of intravenous glutathione in Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord 2009
- Mischley LK et al. Phase IIb study of intranasal glutathione in Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis 2017
- Arjinpathana N, Asawanonda P. Glutathione as an oral whitening agent: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Dermatolog Treat 2012 (PubMed 20524875)
- Witschi A et al. The systemic availability of oral glutathione. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1992 (PubMed 1362956)
- US FDA consumer update: Injectable skin lightening and skin bleaching products may be unsafe (2015, updated 2017)