My Mom / My Dad and Alzheimers

Hi everyone, as Mother’s Day approaches, my Mom is more and more on my mind. I miss her so much. She died 2 years ago on Good Friday. Why is it that you need someone so much more after they are gone? Supposedly, as you get older, you expect to get some wisdom, but sometimes I think that I just don’t even come close to wisdom.

Anyway, Mom has been gone now for 2 years (and Daddy has been gone for 1 year) and I still firmly believe that we can fight off Alzheimers. I still firmly believe that if Mom had had a real chance of surviving the nursing home accident and the subsequent negligence, we would have had a very good chance of getting Mom back some from the abyss of Alzheimers. There are so many alternative health solutions to help with these kinds of diseases, especially if we eliminate toxins from the body and eliminate toxic products from our homes. And that is just two alternative solutions.

Mom and I enjoyed our last years together, maintaining her beautiful roses on the side of their home. She and I would go down the row of rose bushes and “ooh and aah” over the beautiful variations in colors…she had green, purple, white, red, yellow, peach, pinks and a few others that I can’t remember. They were gorgeous. We trimmed out some of her great Hosa ground cover and then planted those cuts in my flower bed right in front of our home. It all took just great and I get beautiful blurple (blue purple) colored flowers with the Hosa every spring/summer.

Mom helped me out (supervising) when I painted my kitchen and my bathroom. We giggled a lot but had fun being together. She also helped me pick out beautiful fabric to cover the kitchen chair cushions. It was perfect.

One of the most favorite things Mom and I did together was to go to the Le Peeps close by my house for brunch. We frequently did this and the waitresses there got to know Mom very well and also understood that she had Alzheimers. They were so wonderful with Mom and she delighted in their attention. Mom was a very tiny woman but she could really put away the good food at Le Peeps. She almost always got their Le Petite French Toast with strawberries and ate every bite.

I know that I mentioned in previous blog articles of Mom that she was not a particularly nurturing person but that with Alzheimers, she became the sweetest and most loving Mom I could ever have hoped for. When I would walk into the room where she was (her home, the secured Alzheimers assisted living facility or anywhere she happened to be), her face would light up with the greatest delight in seeing me. It would always make my day. She would then do everything in her power to make sure I had food to eat, or a blanket to cover me up if I stayed overnight in her home, or take me out on the patio to sit with her and enjoy the day and her roses or whatever she could do that might make me happier. She would constantly ask me if I was happy. I would constantly reassure her that I was happier than I ever thought possible and she would just laugh with glee. Throughout her Alzheimers time, she was always making sure that I was happy or checking to make sure that Daddy was alright. It was amazing to watch her and love her.

When my sister, Pattie, would drive out during the year 5 or 6 times (she came out as often as possible and she was a deaf ed teacher so it was not always easy for her to come out to visit), she and I would take Mom for drives in the mountains and Mom was always so pleased. Pattie and I would frequently take Mom to lunch at Le Peeps, Village Inn or somewhere special and Mom was always thrilled.

One of my favorite places to go with Mom was to the Goodwill Center on Broadway. We would walk up and down all the aisles and Mom would pick out things to show me. We always came home with clothes for her and clothes for me. It was fun and she loved it.

One of my very favorite pictures of Mom and Dad is below. I miss them both so much.

As you can see, Daddy was about 5′8″ and Mom was about 5′. This was early in Mom’s Alzheimers diagnosis. It was a terribly difficult time for my Dad. I lived only 10 minutes away from Mom and Dad so Daddy often called me to come over when he couldn’t get Mom to stop crying. Of course, in the early days of Alzheimers, Mom understood very well that she was losing everything: her memories. Eventually, she did not know who Daddy was. She always seemed to know me though…which was a blessing for me and hopefully, for her! I would always go over when Daddy called and climb into bed with Mom. I would hold her and rock her, telling her that I would never leave her. Eventually, she would calm down some.

Often I would spend the night on the couch and she would sneak out all night long to be sure that I was covered up with a warm blanket. I reassured her and led her gently back to bed each time. But 15 minutes later, she would be sneaking out to the living room again to check on me. She was so cute.

I have a special Whispers From Heaven windchime hanging in my front room that holds a tiny picture of my Mom and Dad. It also has a very special message hanging with it that reads like this:

When I left this world without you
I know it made you blue.
Your tears fell so freely,
I watched; I know this is true.

While you were weeping,
Days after I passed away -
While all was silent within me,
I saw you kneel to pray.

From this wonderful place called heaven
Where all my pain is gone,
I send a gentle breeze to whisper,
“My loved ones, please go on”

The peace that I have found here
Goes far beyond compare
No rain, no clouds, no suffering —
Just LOVE from everywhere.

You need not be troubled
Just stay close to GOD in prayer
Someday we’ll be reunited
My love, HIS love surrounds you always,
EVERYWHERE!

Blessing to all who read this blog with care and love! Be blessed with wisdom, love, peace and hope for all that is wonderful!

Warmly,
Connie Clark
303-770-3180

Tags: aging, alternative health, alzheimers, blessings, elderly, hope, love, loving Mom, Mother's Day, peace, wisdom

Benefits of Organic Aloe Vera

Healthy Systems (www.healthysystems.com/optforsuccess) is the home of the best tasting Organic Aloe Vera in the industry. It is said that a company is only as a good as it’s product line. At Healthy Systems we believe this. However, we also believe that the people have a lot to say about a company.

What are people saying about Healthy Systems US patented Organic Aloe Vera product line?

A sincere, unsolicited recommendation is the ultimate voice for our product line, our service, our company and about our thousands of dedicated affiliates and customers.

The simple truth is the products, (especially our Organic Aloe Vera line) makes our affiliates and customers very healthy. That makes them happy …and that’s what makes them keep coming back.

And to you …whether you found us by searching for information about arthritis, burns, yeast infections or you were referred to us by one of our many affiliates, we would like to welcome you to our home, www.healthysystems.com/optforsuccess. Look around, take your time and explore our site.

If you have a specific question or concern …just send us an email and we promise to get back to you within 24 hours.

We also promise you the “best tasting Aloe Vera” in the market place.

That said …here is a little basic information about our unique, organic, and US patented Aloe Vera.

Of the 240 species, four are recognized as having nutritional value, with barbadensis miller leading the group. Barbadensis is the type of Aloe Vera used in most commercial products available today.

The gel contains over 75 nutrients and 200 active compounds, including 20 minerals, 18 amino acids and 12 vitamins. A high quality product, which uses only the nutritious inner gel …not the outer rind …the rind of the leaf, is one of the most nutritious drinks and best skincare products, available.

Aloe Vera is proven to increase new cell growth three fold and promotes rapid wound healing after skin resurfacing treatments using chemical and mechanical procedures. Aloe Vera is effective in treating a variety of dermatological conditions and diseases of the skin. Aloe Vera penetrates deeply without the aid of “heat.” Aloe Vera relieves pain, swelling and tightness associated with strains, sprains and burses while reducing inflammation in muscles, tendons (tendonitis) and joints (bursitis). Aloe Vera relieves itching and skin irritations resulting from many causes. It also promotes healing of chemical burns, minor sunburns, razor burns, floor burns and mat burns.

Taken internally, Aloe Vera acts as an aid in digestive, inflammation problems and combats yeast infections.

My very favorite flavor of Aloe Vera is Mango-Papaya…yummy!!!
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And, of course, if you add a glutathione accelerator to your health regimen, you will be optimizing your health even more. Glutathione is widely recognized as the most powerful of all antioxidants, and one scientist has referred to it as “the great multi-tasker” in a 2006 article. MaxGXL® is not a glutathione supplement, but rather provides the body with the precursors it needs to manufacture and absorb glutathione.

Get your health up to the MAX and keep it that way with good, high quality health products:
Glutathione Accelerator: MaxGXL
Whole Live Foods: Nuriche Live
Wellness Company: Toxic-Free Living Products (contact me to learn how to SAVE 30% to 40% on cost)
Miracle Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera 5000

Warmly,
Connie Clark
303-770-3180

Tags: acid reflux, aging, allergies, Aloe Vera, alternative health, alternative health product, anti-aging, antioxidants, arthritis, auto-immune disorder, cancer, chronic diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, detoxify, digestive problems, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, elderly, energy, Glutathione, health solutions, healthy immune system, inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome, liver support, science-based, toxins, ulcerative colitis, ulcers

The Importance of Magnesium…things you may not know!

Magnesium deficiency triggers or causes these 22 conditions; the introduction of magnesium either by a high magnesium diet, with green drinks, or magnesium supplements, can help eliminate these conditions. This is according to Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.
1. Anxiety and Panic attacks
2. Asthma
3. Blood Clots
4. Bowel Disease
5. Cystitis
6. Depression
7. Detoxification
8. Diabetes, Syndrome X, and Metabolic Syndrome
9. Fatigue
10. Heart Disease
11. Hypertension
12. Hypoglycemia
13. Insomnia
14. Kidney Disease
15. Liver Disease
16. Migraine
17. Musculoskeletal conditions
18. Nerve problems
19. Obstetrics and Gynecology- Premenstrual Syndrome; dysmenorrhea (cramping pain during menses); infertility; premature contractions, preeclampsia, and eclampsia in pregnancy; lessens the risk of cerebral palsy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
20. Osteoporosis
21. Raynaud’’s Syndrome
22. Tooth decay

Science finds magnesium too difficult to measure, as it is responsible for the correct metabolic function of over 350 enzymes in the body. The creation of ATP-adenosine triphospate-the energy molecules of the body; the action of the heart muscle; the proper formation of bones and teeth; relaxation of blood vessels; and the promotion of proper bowel function are all in the domain of magnesium. Medicine has turned its back on magnesium because most of the funding for medical research now comes from drug companies. Magnesium is not a patented drug and therefore will not be studied by drug companies, except to try to disprove its action.

While researching her book, “The Miracle of Magnesium”, Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. found that doctors have been prescribing magnesium for heart disease since the 1930’s. A review of seven major clinical studies showed that IV magnesium reduced the odds of death by more than half in patients suffering acute myocardial infarction (heart attack). One study, LIMIT-2 developed a protocol for giving magnesium as soon as possible after onset of the heart attack and before any other drugs. If those criteria were followed, heart muscle damage was greatly reduced, and neither hypertension nor arrhythmia developed.

Magnesium is able to dilate blood vessels; prevent spasm in the heart muscle and blood vessel walls; counteract the action of calcium, which increases spasm; help dissolve blood clots; dramatically lessen the site of injury and prevent arrhythmia; and act as an antioxidant against the free radicals forming at the site of injury.1-4 One of the main reasons that heart drug, digoxin, becomes toxic is because there is not enough magnesium in the body.5

In spite of the fact that heart drugs, mainly diuretics, have the bad habit of depleting magnesium-along with potassium and even though magnesium is absolutely required for stabilizing heart muscle activity – magnesium is not utilized properly by conventional medicine.

A small group of international magnesium researchers, however, have continued, against all odds, to prove the importance of magnesium – not only as a nutrient for thousands of body processes-but also as a medicine to treat magnesium-depleted health conditions. Drs. Bella and Burton Altura are two hard-working magnesium researcher who have performed laboratory research and clinical research to the tune of about 1,000 studies over the past forty years. The Alturas personally confirmed that the 22 magnesium-related conditions, listed above, have a solid basis in science.

A reason that Dr. Altura felt magnesium was not given its due is because there has been no lab test that will give an accurate reading of the magnesium status in the tissues. Only one percent of magnesium of the body is distributed in the blood, making a simple sample of magnesium in the blood highly inaccurate. That’s why most doctors who rely on blood tests for magnesium and not magnesium deficiency signs and symptoms and realization that up to 80 percent of the population is deficient, will miss an important diagnosis.

The Alturas took it upon themselves to develop and research a method that would test specifically for magnesium ions. It came about in 1987 and is called the Blood Ionized Magnesium Test. Its accuracy has been confirmed countless times with sensitive digital imaging microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy and the magnesium fluorescent probe. With this test it is now possible to directly measure the levels of magnesium ions in whole blood, plasma and serum using ion-selective electrodes.8 The Alturas have used the ionized magnesium test in hundreds of research trials on dozens of different conditions proving, for example, that the 22 conditions listed above are related to magnesium deficiency.9-15

If there is enough magnesium in the soil where green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds are grown, then we have a chance to obtain magnesium from our diet. Organic foods may have more magnesium, but only if farmers replenish their soil with magnesium-rich fertilizers. Growers should be required to use top-quality fertilizers and should test their crops for the long list of nutrients we need to stay healthy.

In general, to get as much magnesium as possible in the diet, eat plenty of organic leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds every day. Adding green drinks to your menu will help you achieve a higher magnesium status. However, if you are suffering from the following symptoms you may need supplemental magnesium: muscle twitches, tics, or spasms; “Charlie horse” (the muscle spasm that occurs when you stretch your legs); insomnia or restless sleep; stress; back pain; headaches, cluster headaches, migraines; stiff and aching muscles; bones and joints that need continued chiropractic treatment; weakness; hypoglycemia; diabetes; nervousness; hyperactivity; high blood pressure; osteoporosis; PMS; constipation; angina; kidney stones; aging; depression; heart attack; irregular heartbeat; attention deficit disorder; aggressive behavior; chronic fatigue syndrome; stroke; anxiety; confusion, muscle weakness; hiccups; seizures; high-strung; exhaustion from exercise.

Supplementing with magnesium must also take into account the balance between calcium and magnesium. Finland, which, from 1973 to 1999 had the highest recorded incidence of heart attack in middle-aged men in the world, also has a high calcium to magnesium ratio in the diet at 4 parts calcium to 1 part magnesium.16-17 Americans, in general, have a high calcium to magnesium ratio in their diet and consequently in their bodies; the U.S. ratio is 3.5-to-1. Our dietary emphasis on a high calcium intake without sufficient magnesium and because of the excessive emphasis on women taking high doses of calcium for osteoporosis, we are creating more imbalance between the two minerals.

(Excerpts taken from http://www.calmnatural.com/miraclemagnesium)

Dr. Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor and naturopathic doctor. She is a writer, researcher, and health advocate. Her most recent book is Death by Modern Medicine written with Trueman Tucks. She is a health advisor to yeastconnection.com and curesnaturally.com. Her website is carolyndean.com. The Miracle of Magnesium is written for both the lay public and practitioners. It is packed with hundreds of journal references that will convince doctors of the importance of magnesium and its efficacy in dozens of conditions—before reaching for the prescription pad.

Resources

Blood Ionized Magnesium Test
Drs. Bella and Burton Altura. State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, New York, New York 11203, USA. (718) 270-2194 or (718) 270-2205.
Intracellular Magnesium Test
Dr. Burton Silver at www.exatest.com

References
1. Woods KL, et al, The Second Leicester Intravenous Magnesium Intervention Trial (LIMIT-2) Intravenous magnesium sulfate in suspected acute myocardial infarction: results of the second Leicester Intravenous Magnesium Intervention Trial (LIMIT-2). Lancet, vol 339, pp 1553-1558, 1992.
2. Woods K.L., Fletcher S, “Long-term outcome after intravenous magnesium sulphate in suspected acute myocardial infarction : the second Leicester Intravenous Magnesium Intervention Trial (LIMIT-2),”Lancet, vol 343, pp 816-819, 1994
3. Ravn HB. Pharmacological effects of magnesium on arterial thrombosis–mechanisms of action? Magnes Research, vol 12, no 3, pp 191-9, 1999
4. Young IS, et al, “Magnesium status and digoxin toxicity.” Br J Clin Pharmacol, vol 32, no 6, pp 717-21, 1991
5. Lewis R, et al, “Magnesium deficiency may be an important determinant of ventricular ectopy in digitalised patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.”: Br J Clin Pharmacol, vol 31, no 2, pp 200-3, 1991
8. Altura BM, Altura BT. “Role of magnesium in patho-physiological processes and the clinical utility of magnesium ion selective electrodes.” Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl, vol 224, pp 211-34, 1996
9. Altura BT, Altura BM, “A method for distinguishing ionized, complexed and protein-bound Mg in normal and diseased subjects.” Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl, vol 217, pp 83-7, 1994
10. Altura BT, et al, “Comparative findings on serum IMg2+ of normal and diseased human subjects with the NOVA and KONE ISE’s for Mg2+.” Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl, vol 217, pp 77-81, 1994
11. Altura BT, et al, “Characterization of a new ion selective electrode for ionized magnesium in whole blood, plasma, serum, and aqueous samples.” Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl, vol 217, pp 21-36, 1994
12. Altura BT, et al, “A new method for the rapid determination of ionized Mg2+ in whole blood, serum and plasma.” Exp Clin Pharmacol, vol 4, pp 297-304, 1996
13. Altura BT, Altura BM, “Measurement of ionized magnesium in whole blood, plasma and serum with a new ion-selective electrode in healthy and diseased human subjects.” Magnes Trace Elem, vol 10, no 2-4, pp 90-8, 1991-1992
14. Altura BT, Altura BM, “A method for distinguishing ionized, complexed and protein-bound Mg in normal and diseased subjects.” Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl, vol 217, pp 83-7, 1994
15. Altura BM, Altura BT. “Role of magnesium in patho-physiological processes and the clinical utility of magnesium ion selective electrodes.” Scand J Clin Lab Invest Suppl, vol Vol 224, pp 211-34, 1996
16. Karppanen, H.; Neuvonen, P.J. Ischaemic heart-disease and soil magnesium in Finland; water hardness and magnesium in heart muscle. The Lancet. Dec 15, 1973
17. Tunstall-Pedoe H, Kuulasmaa K, Mahonen M, Tolonen H, Ruokokoski E, Amouyel P. Contribution of trends in survival and coronary-event rates to changes in coronary heart disease mortality: 10-year results from 37 WHO MONICA project populations. Monitoring trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease. Lancet. 1999 May 8;353(9164):1547-57
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And, of course, if you add a glutathione accelerator to your health regimen, you will be optimizing your health even more. Glutathione is widely recognized as the most powerful of all antioxidants, and one scientist has referred to it as “the great multi-tasker” in a 2006 article. MaxGXL® is not a glutathione supplement, but rather provides the body with the precursors it needs to manufacture and absorb glutathione.

Get your health up to the MAX and keep it that way with good, high quality health products:
Glutathione Accelerator: MaxGXL
Whole Live Foods: Nuriche Live
Wellness Company: Toxic-Free Living Products (contact me to learn how to SAVE 30% to 40% on cost)
Miracle Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera 5000

Warmly,
Connie
303-770-3180

Tags: aging, allergies, Aloe Vera, alternative health, alzheimers, anti-aging, antioxidants, arthritis, auto-immune disorder, chronic diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, detoxify, elderly, energy, Glutathione, health solutions, inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome, liver support, toxins

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year!

Here’s to a very special and enlightening year! I hope that you are looking forward to 2010 as much as I am. Last year was a tough year for me, as were the previous 3 years. I lost my mother-in-law, my mother, my father and my 15 year old dog, Pepper. These last few years were my first time for facing death and trying to make peace with this phenomena of life…not very easy for me.

It has been very hard on my health, taking care of my mother-in-law, mother and father for the past 8 years or so. Stress does that to us many times over our lives. Eventually, we must take a hard look at ourselves and decide to focus again on what will best serve us for a good and healthy life.

That is the point where I am at this time and my optimism has kicked in again. I’m grateful for that and I’m also focusing on my spiritual growth, as well. I’ve decided to work with an energy healer and am looking forward to experiencing this opportunity for growth and better health. I will try to keep you updated on my progress and how this energy healing works.

In the meantime, I want to share again one of the most important “health breakthroughs” I’ve ever seen in my 40 plus years of researching and studying the health industry. If you google “glutathione“, you will find out how intensely important it is to your body and your health.

However, glutathione cannot be introduced to the body just by taking a pill, tablet, liquid or capsule supplement. It is destroyed in the stomach acid almost immediately. Finally, a doctor of renown, Dr. Keller, developed and formulated (with a composition patent, reserved for pharmaceuticals only) a glutathione accelerator, MaxGXL, which introduces the precursors needed by our bodies to manufacture our own glutathione.

Scientists call it the “Master Antioxidant”. Glutathione has never been able to be introduced into the body and recycle itself prior to this product. Doctors, researchers, and scientists have been looking for a way for a very long time to get glutathione levels in the body raised so that the body functions properly. Glutathione has been used intraveneously in ER for a long time for life-threatening health problems. But, of course, it is terribly expensive and you have to have it done over and over again because it doesn’t allow the body to recycle it and manufacture its own glutathione.

Glutathione is natural to the body; we are born with the ability to manufacture our own glutathione. But as we age, have illnesses/disease, take in toxins over the years from chemicals and pollution, our body’s ability to manufacture its own glutathione declines rapidly. This health product, MaxGXL, is the first scientifically-based with placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical and crossover studies to give the body what it needs to produce/manufacture its own glutathione.

I am including some links for you to check out, if interested, to learn more about how this all works. If you would give me your address, I will send you more information. Plus, you can Google glutathione and see more about all the studies that have been done.

Please feel free to call me anytime with questions. I would also be able to connect you with some doctors that you could talk to about this product, as well. There is a very unique and special vitamin/mineral supplement that supports the MaxGXL with additional support for manufacturing glutathione in the body; it is called Max-n-Fuze and has a nanotechnology delivery system.

My sister is taking MaxGXL, as I am and also my husband and youngest son. I have some wonderful friends and business partners who would be willing to share their personal testimony about this product and how it has helped them. I will also try to get a hold of some testimonies pertaining to your health issue and be more pertinent to your needs if you wish to learn more.

To learn about this new discovery that has been awarded a “Composition Patent” which is usually only given to Prescription Drugs, and to learn about this AMAZING product called MAX GXL….

First go to http://www.stevenkscott.com and watch the 5 minute interview with LARRY KING LIVE to know who Mr. Scott is…..

Then go to http://www.connieclark.max4u.com and click on a 14 minute information video with Mr. Scott talking about MaxGXL and World Famous Dr. Robert Keller ( a Triple Board Certified MD in Oncology, Hematology, and Immunology. Then click on Products, then MaxGXL for a wealth of information. Then click on Testimonials.

There is also a 1 hour MaxGXL TV show on DirecTV on Monday nights every week. But here is a link where you can actually watch the TV shows and pick which segments you are most interested in viewing. Go to my team website at http://www.smilin2TheMax.com and click on Max GXL TV link in left column to see the MaxGXL show.

Warmly,
Connie Clark
303-770-3180 hm
303-898-7376 cell

Life to the Max: http://www.connieclark.max4u.com
Smilin & Livin 2 the Max Information: http://www.smilin2themax.com

Tags: aging, allergies, alternative health, alternative health product, alzheimers, anti-aging, antioxidant, antioxidants, arthritis, cancer, chronic diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic illness, detoxify, diabetes, elderly, energy, Glutathione, health solutions, healthy immune system, inflammation, liver support, proven product, science-based, strengthen your immune syst, toxins

Glutathione – the great multi-tasker

Glutathione—The Great Multi-tasker

Glutathione is widely recognized as the most powerful of all antioxidants, and one scientist has referred to it as “the great multi-tasker” in a 2006 article. As you read his article, keep in mind: MaxGXL® is not a glutathione supplement, but rather provides the body with the precursors it needs to manufacture and absorb glutathione.
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Glutathione – the great multi-tasker
JOE SCHWARCZ, Freelance, Montreal Gazette
Published: Saturday, November 25 2006

Our body doesn’t take chemical insults lying down. It fights back. And one of its most powerful weapons in the battle against toxic invaders is glutathione, a molecule synthesized inside our cells from glycine, glutamic acid and cysteine, three amino acids found in the diet.

Glutathione turns out to be a great multi-tasker. It has antioxidant properties, it improves the activity of vitamin C, it helps white blood cells fight invaders, and it induces the formation of enzymes that help solubilize potentially dangerous substances so they can be eliminated in the urine. Given all of this, it stands to reason that higher levels of glutathione in the blood should correlate with good health. That does seem to be the case, at least if we go by a study carried out at the University of Birmingham in England.

Researchers measured glutathione levels in healthy volunteers, old and young, as well as in elderly patients who either suffered from chronic diseases, or had recently been admitted to a hospital with an acute problem. If glutathione were indeed related to health, such an analysis should muster evidence, the scientists suggested.

They were not disappointed. The healthy young volunteers had the highest plasma levels of glutathione, followed by the healthy elderly, then the elderly outpatients, and finally the elderly hospitalized patients. At the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Mara Julius and colleagues also found that higher glutathione levels were associated with fewer illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. We also have data from animal experiments about the chemoprotective properties of glutathione. Rats exposed to aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen, fared better when given glutathione.

Animals not treated with glutathione died within two years of exposure to the carcinogen, but 80 per cent of treated animals were alive at the end of that period.

So why are we not wolfing down glutathione supplements? They are available, and there certainly is no safety issue. Nobody has shown any hazard associated with oral glutathione. The problem is that nobody has shown any major benefit either. How come? Unlike rats, humans do not absorb glutathione to any significant extent from the small intestine.

That doesn’t mean oral glutathione is useless. It can be used for benefit by cells that line the intestine. These often become damaged in diseases such as AIDS or cancer, resulting in impaired nutrient absorption, which leads to physical wasting with loss of weight and muscle mass. Oral glutathione has been shown to repair intestinal cells and has been used to advantage in AIDS patients. But for other health benefits, oral glutathione won’t do.

Since oral glutathione is ineffective, we have to look at ways of helping cells make more of the compound. The best way is by ensuring they have an ample supply of the raw materials needed to do this. Glycine and glutamic acid are plentiful in the diet, but cysteine presents a difficulty. It has limited solubility, on top of which it is readily destroyed before it can enter cells. Cysteine therefore becomes the component that determines the amount of glutathione that can be formed in cells. Because of the solubility and destruction issues, oral supplements of cysteine are not the answer either. But cysteine can be readily converted in the laboratory into N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which is more soluble and less prone to destruction in the bloodstream.

After absorption into cells it is reconverted into cysteine, which is available for glutathione synthesis. The many people who have been brought from the brink of death after overdosing on acetaminophen can attest to the efficacy of NAC.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol is a common trade name) is a widely used pain reliever. In the recommended dosage it is very effective, but like any medication, it’s a problem when abused. Overdosing on acetaminophen, which is facilitated by alcohol consumption, can lead to severe liver problems and possibly death. Suicide attempts with acetaminophen are not unheard of. Often, though, they remain only “attempts,” because of quick medical intervention with NAC. Our body recognizes acetaminophen as an intruder and tries to eliminate it by converting it into a more soluble compound.

Unfortunately, this compound, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone-imine (NAPQI), is the one that is toxic to the liver. But fortunately, a glutathione-induced enzyme stands ready to help the kidneys excrete it.

When the acetaminophen dose is too high, however, glutathione stores are depleted and liver damage ensues. Unless, that is, NAC is quickly administered to replenish the cellular levels of glutathione.

If NAC works so well to boost glutathione, why are we not being urged to take it in supplement form to prevent disease? Well, we are, by manufacturers of NAC. While there is no major toxicity concern, nausea is a possible side effect. And nobody has really examined the consequences of taking NAC over a long term, or possible interactions with other medications. It would be great if an innocuous way of increasing our glutathione levels were available. And maybe there is. (Visit here for more information on increasing glutathione levels).

Cheese-making requires the separation of the curds from the whey, a liquidy residue that harbours proteins rich in cysteine. When processed in a special way, these proteins can deliver their cysteine content to cells where it can be released to enhance glutathione formation. Some studies have indicated that these special whey preparations have increased endurance in athletes, presumably by reducing free radical damage to muscles. Laboratory work has shown increased glutathione levels in human prostate cells exposed to whey protein, suggestive of protection against prostate cancer.

Animals fed the protein concentrate are more resistant to carcinogens, and whey has been seen to increase glutathione in normal cells, while it depletes it in cancer cells, making these more susceptible to chemotherapy or radiation. Of course we need more evidence before jumping on the bandwagon, but as far as glutathione supplementation goes, we may have found a “whey” to go.

Joe Schwarcz is director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society

Tags: absorption, acetaminophen, AIDS, antioxidants, arthritis, cancer, chemotherapy, chronic diseases, diabetes, elderly, Glutathione, good health, radiation, Tylenol