Glutathione Injections Health Alert

Health Warning for those using Glutathione to achieve whiter skin. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public against using glutathione injections, which they said can cause skin rashes, severe abdominal pains, kidney failure, and other health complications.

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What is Glutathione?Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide that contains an unusual peptide linkage between the amine group of cysteine and the carboxyl group of the glutamate side-chain. It is anantioxidant, preventing damage to important cellular components caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals and peroxides.


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Thiol groups are reducing agents, existing at a concentration of approximately 5 mM in animal cells. Glutathione reduces disulfide bonds formed within cytoplasmic proteins tocysteines by serving as an electron donor. In the process, glutathione is converted to its oxidized form glutathione disulfide (GSSG), also called L(-)-Glutathione.

Glutathione is found almost exclusively in its reduced form, since the enzyme that reverts it from its oxidized form, glutathione reductase, is constitutively active and inducible uponoxidative stress. In fact, the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione within cells is often used as a measure of cellular toxicity.

source: wikipedia