A new dawn against Covid-19? Research: Supplementing "glutathione" precursor improves inflammation and muscle strength
Past research has mostly pointed to the fact that “glutathione” in the human body has powerful antioxidant capabilities and has the important function of eliminating harmful “free radicals”, which can help prevent inflammatory reactions and immune system problems. A report published in the journal “Antioxidants” shows that supplementing glutathione precursor “GlyNAC (Glycine and N-acetylcysteine)” may be related to improving symptoms of COVID-19.
Study author Dr. Rajagopal Sekhar said that past relevant studies have pointed out that reduced glutathione concentrations are related to many diseases, such as aging, diabetes, AIDS, cardiovascular disease, etc. Therefore, Dr. Sekhar suspected that infection with the new coronavirus may also affect the body’s glutathione concentration.
To test the hypothesis, Sekhar’s team recruited 60 patients infected with COVID-19, including 25 women and 35 men, ranging in age from 21 to 85 years old. The team measured the subjects’ blood samples and three major indicators that cause excessive secretion of free radicals and interfere with cellular redox: oxidative stress, oxidant damage, and glutathione concentration, and compared Compare it with blood samples from ordinary people.
The study divided the patient age sample into 3 groups: 21-40 years old, 41-60 years old, and over 60 years old. In healthy adults, oxidative stress, oxidative damage, and glutathione concentrations should theoretically remain relatively stable and may not decline until after the age of 60. However, the results of the study showed that compared with people of the same age who were not infected with COVID-19, the concentration of “GlyNAC” in the bodies of subjects aged 21-40 and 41-60 showed a downward trend, while those diagnosed over 60 years old , the glutathione concentration is lower and the oxidative stress response is significantly increased.
Glutathione affects muscle strength and cognitive ability?
Dr. Sekhar believes that in the general young population, it is not easy to see a downward trend in glutathione concentration. The new coronavirus has obviously changed this pattern. The increase in oxidative stress reaction also represents an increase in the concentration of free radicals. When cells cannot neutralize free radicals through oxidation and reduction, body cells will begin to be damaged and have many impacts on physiological reactions in the body.
Dr. Sekhar showed that the phenomenon of increased oxidative stress response and decreased glutathione does not only exist in the 60-year-old elderly. There are also studies showing that it also occurs in patients with HIV, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
In the experiment, the research team asked the elderly and HIV patients to supplement “GlyNAC”. Many patients’ symptoms were improved, including inflammation, endothelial cell dysfunction, insulin resistance, etc., and it also helped to improve the patients’ muscle strength and exercise ability. , cognitive ability, and genetic damage.
Due to the experimental results of GlyNAC supplementation on patients in the early stage of diagnosis, and the fact that patients diagnosed with COVID-19 may experience decreased glutathione concentration and increased oxidative stress response, Sekhar believes that supplementing GlyNAC to combat the physical problems caused by COVID-19 will be quite effective. research value. As for the actual impact and mechanism of GlyNAC supplementation on patients with new coronary pneumonia, future research still needs to be continued to clarify.
Source:
COVID-19 patients have increased oxidative stress, oxidant damage, and glutathione
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