Note: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. This book is intended only as an informative guide for those wishing to know more about health issues. In no way is this book intended to replace, countermand, or conflict with the advice given to you by your own physician. The ultimate decision concerning care should be made between you and your doctor. We strongly recommend you follow his or her advice. Information in this book is general and is offered with no guarantees on the part of the authors or Hachette Go. The authors and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book. The names and identifying details of people associated with events described in this book have been changed. Any similarity to actual persons is coincidental.
Copyright 2020 by Nayan Patel
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First Edition: September 2020
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ISBNs: 978-0-306-87397-3 (hardcover); 978-0-306-87395-9 (e-book)
E3-20200807-JV-NF-ORI
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W E HAVE LONG KNOWN THAT GLUTATHIONE (GSH) PLAYS AN INTEGRAL role in detoxing our systems and helping to prevent disease. But by we I mean the medical establishment; unfortunately, very few non-medical people have ever heard of glutathione. So Im grateful that in this book pharmacist and researcher Nayan Patel is not only bringing glutathione to wider attention, he is also helping us understand how it works, where the GSH research has beenand where its headingand, most important, how we can get more of it.
We live in an era of unprecedented biological hazards (the rampant COVID-19 virus) as well as daily environmental stressorssome of us are being bombarded by more toxins than our bodies can fight off. For that reason, this book is not only timely, but crucial. And all the better for being written by someone who has done important work in stabilizing the actual glutathione molecule and who is also on the GSH front lines, consulting with patients and doctors and answering questions about the antioxidant on a daily basis.
I was an early advocate of glutathione. For over thirty years now, Ive been talking about the importance of this little-known molecule and doing my best to let people in on the news. In 2010, for instance, I wrote in the Huffington Post that glutathione is the secret to prevent aging, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and more, and necessary to treat everything from autism to Alzheimers disease. Thats an assessment I still stand by today, but as Dr. Patel demonstrates in his clear-eyed, evidence-based paean to GSH, thats just the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot more to discover about GSH, and its all here on the upcoming pages.
As a practitioner of functional medicine, I believe in empowering people to take charge of their own health. So I was happy to learn that Dr. Patel would not only be helping readers understand the many ways that glutathione affects our well-being, but also informing us how we can maximize GSH in our bodies. The brilliant thing about glutathione is that we make it ourselveshow great is that? And yet the onslaught of factors I described earlier, plus just the mere fact of aging, can cause a glutathione lag. We need to know how to head off that lag and increase our GSH arsenal, and Dr. Patel tells us how.
Many years ago, as I tackled my own health challenges, I experienced glutathiones powers firsthand. I am therefore thrilled that the conversation about glutathione is continuing, now in depth, and led by the steady hand of Dr. Patel.
Welcome to the Glutathione Revolution.
Mark Hyman, MD
W HAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT THERES A POWERHOUSE SUBSTANCE THAT has the capability to both protect your body against disease and help it heal if you do get sick?
What if I also told you that this same health-enhancing substance can help slow down the aging process, refresh your energy level, and keep your skin looking luminous?
What if I told you, too, that this exceptional substance is far better at detoxing your body than any $90 cleanse kit on the market?
And heres the kicker: What if I told you that this incomparable substance is one of the most abundant molecules in your body, second only to waterand that you make it yourself?
Have I got your attention yet?
Glutathione is the disease-fighting, age-slowing, energy-enhancing, detoxing, and beautifying antioxidant that youve never heard of or perhaps you have. Each day, the number of individuals who are getting wise to glutathiones benefits grows. People, search metrics show, have been Googling it like crazy! Even so, aside from scholarly articles (and there are thousands of themglutathione is very well studied), theres little accessible yet authoritative information out there explaining how integral this mighty molecule is to nearly every physiological function. And, just as important, few people know about the best waysincluding all the natural waysto increase glutathione levels in the body. With this book, I hope to change all thatand I think youre going to be amazed by everything you learn about this potent antioxidant.
GSHshorthand for glutathioneis produced in every cell in the body and its our first line of defense against, well, just about everything. Among glutathiones most important jobs is shielding us from the day-to-day assault of free radicals, rogue molecules that do harm to all facets of the cells, setting the stage for disease and accelerating aging. GSH also grabs on to waste products and environmental toxins, such as pesticides and metals that surreptitiously enter our system, helping to flush them out of the body.
But that isnt all. What makes glutathione such a superantioxidantand why its interchangeably called the master antioxidant and the mother of all antioxidantsis its ability to rebuild both itself and other essential antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. Theres no other substance in the body quite as agile and far-reaching as glutathione, and its biochemical heroics allow it to play a leading role in everything from protecting against heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimers (among other conditions) to keeping skin clear and bright.
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