The rationale for the potential role of antioxidants in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remains strong despite the disappointing results of recent trials with a few select antioxidant vitamins. Glutathione (GSH) is one of the body's most powerful antioxidant agents but there is a surprising paucity of data on its use as an interventional therapy. Glutathione, when taken orally, is immediately broken down into its constituent amino acids, of which cysteine is the only one to be essential. Available cysteine is the critical determinant of intracellular GSH concentrations. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant supplement that has been used to provide a source of cysteine to replete GSH levels. By replenishing endogenous glutathione, it is possible that NAC would exert the same effect(s) as exogenous GSH. However, there is a new delivery system, liposomal GSH, which keeps glutathione intact. In this study, the investigators propose to match the cysteine content of NAC and GSH and compare the effects of these two supplements, at two different doses, on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
78
1,130 mg/day or 2,260 mg/day for 8 weeks
600 mg/day or 1,200 mg/day for 8 weeks
Volume of liquid placebo product comparable to liposomal glutathione and 1 or 2 placebo pills/day.
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, California, United States
Inflammatory Markers
Time frame: 8 weeks
Oxidized LDL
Time frame: 8 weeks
Insulin Sensitivity
Time frame: 8 weeks
Weight
Time frame: 8 weeks
Blood pressure
Time frame: 8 weeks
Serum lipids
Time frame: 8 weeks
Insulin
Time frame: 8 weeks
Glucose
Time frame: 8 weeks
Plasma Glutathione levels
Time frame: 8 weeks
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