Dr. Weeks’ Comment: Glutathione (GSH) is a very important protective molecule for almost all living things. Discovered in 1985 by De Rey-Pailhade, J., it is, of all cellular antioxidants. the most prevalent and serves to stock cellular “rusting” (quench reactive oxygen species -“ROS”) and put out cellular fires. Glutathione is an elegant combination or three amino acids L-glutamate, cysteine and glycine. It has a uniquely particular linkage between the amides which makes it resistant to hydrolysis by peptidases so it can travel and bestow anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits throughout the body. Mostly synthesized in the liver, it delivers very powerful benefits to lungs of people with respiratory illnesses such as asthma, pneumonia and now COVID-19. Glutathione itself tends to react with air like any unadulterated oil and so there are two methods of reliably helping your body have enough glutathione on board: 1) eat n acetyl cysteine (NAC) which converts to glutathione in the body or 2) supplement with Acetylglutathione which is protected from air and ready to go to work to save your life.
Here is what my friend Prof. Boyd Haley – Ph.D, – a world authority on mercury toxicity shares about the essential nature of glutathione:
” The scientific literature (see attached slides) strongly implies that reduced glutathione (GSH) is one of the most important molecules in the body for warding off viral infections and it does this by being inserted into a major viral coat protein through a dithiol exchange reaction with cystine linkages in the coat protein. The effect of this attachment of GSH is to inhibit the newly synthesized virus ability to invade other host cells and to aid in the biliary transport system (liver) removal of the virus from the blood. The fact that ill people (described as having underlying medical issues) and the elderly are most susceptible to the flu is because these two groups also are known to have low GSH levels. We propose that treatment to reduce the unbound Fe2+ (caused by the viral interaction with hemoglobin) which is a major redox metal that catalytically produces superoxide anion and then hydroxyl free radicals inducing oxidative stress. This leads to the GSH being depleted as it scavenges the hydroxyl free radicals. Lowering the GSH levels makes a viral infection much more likely. The scientific literature (see attached slides) strongly implies that reduced glutathione (GSH) is one of the most important molecules in the body for warding off viral infections and it does this by being inserted into a major viral coat protein through a dithiol exchange reaction with cystine linkages in the coat protein. The effect of this attachment of GSH is to inhibit the newly synthesized virus ability to invade other host cells and to aid in the biliary transport system (liver) removal of the virus from the blood. The fact that ill people (described as having underlying medical issues) and the elderly are most susceptible to the flu is because these two groups also are known to have low GSH levels. We propose that treatment to reduce the unbound Fe2+ (caused by the viral interaction with hemoglobin) which is a major redox metal that catalytically produces superoxide anion and then hydroxyl free radicals inducing oxidative stress. This leads to the GSH being depleted as it scavenges the hydroxyl free radicals. Lowering the GSH levels makes a viral infection much more likely.”
Why am I writing about glutathione? Because it is one the the essential home remedies included in Dr. Weeks suggested protocols.
Here are some articles demonstrating anti-viral benefits and pulmonary protective benefits from using this agent:
Glutathione and Zika https://basecamp.com/2310126/projects/7904231/messages/90838873?enlarge=403466625#attachments_for_comment_755901887
Oral administration of tea saponins to relive oxidative stress and immune suppression in chickens.