Whey's Super Antioxidant Secret: Glutathione
We eat food for lots of reasons—calories, fiber, protein, carbs, flavor—but it's also for micronutrients, especially those often talked about antioxidants. By boosting immunity and warding off harmful disease-causing intruders called free radicals, antioxidants improve cellular function and can have a profound impact on our health. There are lots of them, from the common vitamins C and E, vital for every day function, to those age-defying super antioxidants like EPCG (epigallocatechin gallate) in green tea or resveratrol found in red wine. While there are certainly a number of antioxidants all of which offer our bodies health-boosting properties, glutathione is the only one earning the nickname, "master antioxidant".
Glutathione is found in every cell of the body and is critical in helping to maximize the function of other antioxidants through its unique intracellular process. It can remove toxins that build up from a variety of factors including environmental pollutants and a poor diet. Glutathione also affects our energy levels, and no surprise: it's boosted when we exercise. As we age though, glutathione production capabilities decrease, and low-levels can lead to onset of Alzheimer's, arthritis, Parkinson's, cancer and autoimmune diseases. And while aging is a natural part of life, we don't have to do it suffering from ailments that can easily be prevented.
Unlike some antioxidants that can be effective in supplement form (like vitamin C), glutathione is a bit trickier. Glutathione supplements, though quite popular lately, have shown to be poorly absorbed by the body, and may actually block your glutathione levels! The most effective way to increase glutathione levels comes from eating foods that naturally boost your body's glutathione production. At the top of the list is organic whey. Glutathione also can be found in raw meat, eggs, and fruits and vegetables like spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, squash, broccoli, tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, okra and more. Once cooked however, glutathione levels drastically plummet.
Whey, which comes from cow's milk, provides the amino acids needed for glutathione includes a unique form of cysteine that is notably effective in converting into glutathione. But, whey that's sourced from conventionally raised cows can actually have the opposite effect—decreasing glutathione levels and causing all sorts of other problems thanks to the fillers, chemicals and antibiotics in conventional cow milk.
To maximize glutathione from whey, we here at the Organic Whey source from cows who were raised on an organic diet, grass fed and not exposed to harmful chemicals, antibiotics or other unnatural ingredients. A cold-processing method is important too, so that the delicate nutrients in whey stay stable. We never use protein isolates, but concentrate our whey in small batches. We can trace each spoonful back to the cows they came from! This is really important because conventional whey products are sourced from many different cows and farms and there's no traceability. You don't need a whey with added sugars, either. This is typically a telltale sign that the products have become bitter tasting from too many chemicals. We also make sure our whey is abundant in medium chain fatty acids, which are highly digestible so that your body can easily absorb the powerful glutathione.
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