GLUTATHIONE AND AGING

Aging is a part of life, but healthy aging requires optimal glutathione levels. Glutathione synthesis decreases significantly as we age: teenagers have the highest levels, while those over age 60 have the lowest. Interestingly, the elderly (and in particular those 100 and over) who are in the best health have the highest levels of glutathione, on par with young adults.

"With normal aging, total glutathione levels decrease, but the centenarians in this study showed levels similar to those of young adults."

"Brain glutathione (GSH) decreases with age in humans, and a loss of GSH can impact cognitive function."

"The glutathione system is pivotal and thought to be a critical safeguard in the cellular defense against oxidative stress."

Further Reading

Age-related changes in the glutathione redox system.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11835271

Functional consequences of age-dependent changes in glutathione status in the brain.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23249101

High blood glutathione levels accompany excellent physical and mental health in women ages 60 to 103 years.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12486409

Neutrophils of Centenarians Show Function Levels Similar to Those of Young Adults
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19093924

Age associated oxidative damage in lymphocytes [Free Full Text]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2952088/

Age-related cysteine uptake as rate-limiting in glutathione synthesis and glutathione half-life in the cultured human lens
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1915676

L-cysteine efflux in erythrocytes as a function of human age: correlation with reduced glutathione and total anti-oxidant potential.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23442131

Consequences of age on ischemic wound healing in rats: altered antioxidant activity and delayed wound closure [Free Full Text]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4039282/

Markers of Oxidant Stress that are Clinically Relevant in Aging and Age-related Disease [Free Full Text]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3664937/

"Several laboratories have reported that reduced glutathione levels with age are associated with a decrease in antioxidant capacity (Erden-İnal et al., 2002; Gil et al., 2006; Matsubara and Machado, 1991). It has been established that a decrease of whole blood, plasma, and lymphoblast GSH concentration may be associated with aging (Lang et al., 1992; Samiec et al., 1998), as well as rheumatoid arthritis (Gambhir et al., 1997), AIDS (Pirmohamed et al., 1996), AD (Cecchi et al., 1999), respiratory distress syndrome (Rahman and MacNee, 2000), Werner syndrome (Pagano et al., 2005), ALS (Bonnefont-Rousselot et al., 2000), alcoholic liver disease (Hadi Yasa et al., 1999), diabetes (Samiec et al., 1998), essential arterial hypertension (Kedziora-Kornatowska et al., 2004), and cataract genesis (Lou and Dickerson, 1992)."

Source: The Glutathione Connection