In this video Dr. A explains why glutathione, one of the body’s primary antioxidants, must be continuously recycled to remain effective. He outlines the redox cycle in which glutathione shifts between reduced and oxidized states and needs nutrients to return to its active form. Dr. A then presents a ranked countdown of six supplements that support this recycling process: (6) vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – peripheral aid for glutathione uptake; (5) vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – directly involved in the redox cycle; (4) vitamin B3 (niacinamide) – provides NAD for the opposite side of the cycle; (3) selenium and zinc – trace elements that act within and adjacent to the cycle; (2) vitamin C – part of the outer recycling shell that works with glutathione, vitamin E, and vitamin C; (1) magnesium – described as the “grandmaster” because cellular magnesium levels are directly proportional to glutathione levels and activity. Dr. A notes that low red‑blood‑cell magnesium is a common finding in people with deficient glutathione, and recommends testing and correcting magnesium status as a primary strategy. The video frames the information within an integrative‑medicine perspective, emphasizing practical supplement guidance for maintaining antioxidant capacity.
Chapters
But the reason magnesium is important is what we found through research is that there is a direct proportional relationship between the level of magnesium in the cells and the glutathione level and activity in the cell. Hi, I'm Dr. A, and on this channel we talk about medicine, health, all things integrative therapies, answer your questions, and a few other things. Today, let's break down a super common question that I get, and that is, you have a playlist on glutathione, you talk a lot about glutathione as one of the Antioxidants. But the other thing that I've heard you say is glutathione has to be recycled. Can you tell us why and what your top supplements that help to recycle glutathione are? Great question. So let's break it down. First, glutathione is part of the core triplet of redox substances: vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione. At their base, they help protect our cells from oxidation, free radicals. They help to regulate certain parts of the immune system, and they back each other up. And that's why we always say those 3 come first. And then all the other antioxidants that you can use that are much stronger or different or whatever can go on around them. So it's not one is better than the other. It's just your body is set up biochemically to have these 3 working together. So when we think about recycling, that's beyond its friends, vitamin C and vitamin E. And that is because glutathione uses a lot of nutrients to cycle. And what is the cycle? It's the redox cycle. When a free radical comes along and an antioxidant takes up the free radical electron. Usually it goes from a reduced state to an oxidized state, and then the free radical is usually neutralized. The problem is in its oxidized state, I can't use it anymore, so I have to recycle it back down. Glutathione uses a ton of nutrients to help that cyclic process. So we're gonna do a little countdown here of the top 6. Okay? So the first one, number 6, and we have this as a countdown. I, I don't not like any of these. It's not like one is worse than the other. But maybe lesser known is vitamin B5, which is also known as pantothenic acid. And people say, well, I've looked at the charts of glutathione cycling. I don't see B5 on there. It's usually not put on there. And that's because vitamin B5 helps in a peripheral way, as a couple of these other things will, with the uptake and management, you could say, of glutathione. So while it's not primarily involved in the cycling, B5 is very dependent with glutathione to get glutathione into a position to be able to cycle. Number 5 is vitamin B2. That'd be the riboflavin family. And this works in directly in the cycling action. And you have an oxidizing side and a reducing side. And so you have 2 B vitamins in there that help out. B2 is one of the primary ones. Number 4 is vitamin B3, which is on the other side. And that is niacinamide. Now you can take niacin. That's the kind that makes you flush, et cetera. B vitamin B3 that makes you flush. But niacinamide actually is closer to what we're trying to get, which is NAD, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. And so niacinamide, it's very inexpensive and it can be taken and it balances the vitamin B2 on the other side of the cycle. So coming in at number 3 are 2 trace elements. One is directly in that cycle and that is selenium. And the other is a step back, kind of like vitamin B5 was, and that's zinc. And there's a number of reasons why zinc is required. It's not right in the cycle, but it's right on the outside. At station number 2 is vitamin C because vitamin C is part of the outer recycling shell, if you will, of those 3 agents helping each other to go back and forth. And then number 1, which is not at all in the middle of the cycle, but it's sort of the grandmaster, if you will, and that is magnesium. And magnesium, again, you look at glutathione cycling, you know, on Google Images, you won't usually see magnesium. You also won't see zinc. You won't see B5. But the reason magnesium is important is what we found through research is that there is a direct proportional relationship between the level of magnesium in the cells and the glutathione level and activity in the cell. So the more magnesium deficient a cell is, the more glutathione deficient it is. And the more the magnesium rises, the more the glutathione activity and the level of glutathione rises too. So in people who are having trouble maintaining glutathione levels, maintaining activity of antioxidants, things of that nature, magnesium Magnesium is something that we will check. We'll usually do a red blood cell magnesium level, and if it's low, we'll make sure we raise that up because it's actually a core, if you could say, sort of a primary support to all of the functions of glutathione. So again, number 6 is B5, number 5 is B2, number 4 is B3, is niacinamide, number 3 is selenium and zinc, number 2 is vitamin C, and number 1 is magnesium. All right. Hope that answered those questions. Thanks for the questions. I'll see you all on the next video.
