april 08 gsh and energy

8/2/2019 April 08 Gsh and Energy

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You’ve been told that glutathione increases energy on a cellular level. How does it do this? Since glutathione is not the actual

fuel for the “engines” or “energy factories” of our cells, what part does it play in the creation of cellular energy?

These are questions we would all like answersto, but not if they make us feel like we’reback in Chemistry 101!Hopefully, what you readbelow will provide a non-technical explanation forthese questions.

The Tiger in Your Tank IsCalled ATPIt’s obvious that all cellsmust produce energy tosurvive. We know that the

“gasoline” or “electricity” that powers our cells iscalled ATP (adenosinetriphosphate). If your car

runs out of gas, it cansit for a while until youreplenish the supply. Not sowith our cellular fuel. Ourcells simply cannot surviveunless they have a continual, sufcient supplyof “cellular gasoline” or ATP. So the process of creating fuel in each and every cell must goon constantly.

A single cell may have a couple of hundred

energy factories or cellular power plants calledmitochondria or it may contain thousands of them. Your hard-working heart cells have beenestimated to have 5,000 mitochondria each1!

The complex process of turning nutrients ATP in the mitochondria depends on moxidation and reduction reactions.

Redox is the shorthand term for the chemreaction where atoms are changed either losing elections (oxidation) or gainelectrons (reduction).

The ProcessUnderstanding the eprocess of ATP creadidn’t happen until 19Hans A. Krebs n

gured out a metabpathway in the cells explained how energycreated. There were mscientists who playedkey role in understandhow this pathway worbut because Krebs hadinsight that the pathwas a cycle, the proc

was named for him is usually called the Krcycle.

You will also read of ithe “citric acid cycle” or the tricarboxacid cycle (TCA) or occasionally, the SzGyörgyi-Krebs cycle (adding the namethe scientist who mapped out many of molecules and the sequence of reactionthe Krebs cycle).

We are including a diagram of the eight msteps in the energy cycle. Since we are doing Chemistry 101, describing this proc

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Energy ProductionThe Role of Glutathione in



could be as simple as saying it’s a metabolicdance of electrons being transported andtransferred, through complex processes of reduction and oxidation. Remember thattransferring (or grabbing!) electrons is alsowhat starts the cycle of free radical damage.

The Role of Glutathione

Oxidation is like a ame, wonderful whenharnessed, dangerous when out of control.When we are young, the oxidation necessaryfor energy production is highly efcientwith only a small amount of oxygen notutilized. Even this minor oxygen loss (1-3%)unfortunately results in the production of freeradicals. And this is where glutathione comesin to neutralize those free radicals.

A one-to-three percent

oxygen loss causingfree-radical productiondoesn’t sound too bad,does it? But say you areno longer 20 years of ageand correspondingly, yourcellular mitochondria arenot as efcient as theyonce were. More andmore free radicals aregenerated in the oxidativeenergy process and theyare, in turn, damagingthe mitochondria themselves.

The powerful antioxidant, glutathione,quenches a number of free radicals, includingthe highly dangerous hydroxyl radical bydonating an electron. Glutathione itself doesnot become a free radical even though it hasgiven up an electron.

No wonder it is called the Master Antioxidant!Now that it is quenched, the extremelyharmful hydroxyl radical is halted from its real

dirty work: generating other free radicals peroxynitrite and the radicals of oxidized (lipids).

Glutathione has just halted a literal cascof free radicals by quenching the hydrfree radical. But you need to know what a favor glutathione has done for yopreventing peroxynitrite production.

Peroxynitrite is truly pernicious!Martin L. Pall, PhD, professor of Biochemiand Basic Medical Science at WashingState University stated: “Peroxynitrite rewith and inactivates several of the enzyin mitochondria so that mitochondrial energy metabolism dysfunction is one

the most imporconsequences of eleva

peroxynitrite.” 2

Translation: Wthe mitochondria hsuffered enough radical damage as become dysfunctioenergy production impaired. Your cells doget the amount of enethey need to funcproperly. Your cells function at a level be

the optimum although you probably wfeel it.

There is yet one more free-radical mitochondconsequence as a result of low glutathilevels that you “will” be aware of. Rich

Van Konynenburg, PhD, wrote: “The resulpartial blockades in the Krebs cycles and

respiratory chains in the red, slow-twskeletal muscle cells decrease their rateproduction of ATP. Since ATP is what powmuscle contractions, the lack of it produ

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physical fatigue. It becomes chronic becauseGSH [glutathione] remains depleted.” 3

You might think of free radicals as a band of marauders circling an oil tanker, preparingto hijack the precious commodity that fuelscars and trains and pretty much the entireWestern world. Glutathione molecules could

be considered a group of highly efcientbodyguards—handing out electrons andturning vicious maraudersinto mild-manneredbystanders.

Glutathione Praisefrom Dr. Keller

As you understand thisintricate energy creation

process, perhaps youwill appreciate more astatement by the creatorof MaxGXL, Dr. Robert H.Keller. Dr. Keller said thatglutathione is “critical tocell functions such as theTCA (Kreb) cycle and thenthe respiratory chain thatuses 4 molecules of ATPto generate 32 molecules

of ATP.”

Is it vital for you tohave those glutathionebodyguards on energyduty? Van Konynenburgcertainly thinks so as hewrote, “GSH [glutathione]plays very important roles in maintainingmitochondrial function and integrity.” 4

Perhaps it’s enough to remember glutathione is there to assure that creation of cellular energy is not hampeby free radical damage. While this is noany means the only role glutathione pin keeping your body running smoothlis a vitally important role. Now you h

one more reason to appreciate Dr. Kelmarvelous, patented product!

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Notes1. Stephen T. Sinatra, FACC, “L-Carnitine and Heart,” McGraw-Hill, 19p. 36

2. Pall M, “Elevated,sustained peroxynitritelevels as the cause of chronic fatigue syndromMedical Hypotheses (2054(1):115-125.

3. Glutathione WhitePaper, Richard VanKonynenburg, PhD,http://phoenix-cfs.org/GluAACFS04.htm

4. Ibid.

april 08 gsh and energy

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