Oral Glutathione Supplementation in Older Healthy Adults and Its Effect on the Number of Healthy Days Experienced During Four Months of Supplementation Compared to Placebo

The long term goal of this investigation is to understand how food components improve immune function, both in its ability to respond to pathogens and its ability to turn off when the response is no longer needed. The goal of this application is to examine mechanisms by which glutathione improves immune cells after consumption. The central hypothesis is that glutathione improves redox status within the cell, thereby improving cell function and increasing the number of healthy days experienced by the participants.

After obtaining informed consent, human participants will receive 500 mg/day of Setria® Glutathione or placebo for 120 days. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), neutrophils and serum will be obtained from blood draws before and after the 120 days. A daily diary of illness will be kept by each participant and will record any incidence of illness, the number of symptoms per incidence, and the number of days in which symptoms are present. This study is powered on the basis that over 120 days, the glutathione-supplemented group would experience 3% more healthy days compared to the placebo group. The analysis indicated 60 people per group.

Inclusion criteria

• generally healthy
• must have had at least one cold during the previous year
• age 50-75
• must discontinue other dietary supplement use

Exclusion criteria

• on arthritis medication
• on hypertension medication
• severe allergies
• compromised immune system
• high cholesterol, heart failure, angina, etc.
• diagnoses of diabetes or metabolic syndrome