10 Benefits of Taking Glutathione for Dogs

Glutathione, often referred to as the “master antioxidant,” is a powerful tripeptide composed of three essential amino acids. Produced naturally in your dog’s cells and your own, it plays a pivotal role in maintaining optimal health. As dogs get older, glutathione production slows, resulting in lower glutathione levels in the body, which is why a high-quality supplement may be necessary to help keep dogs in peak condition.

Three Amino Acids Form Glutathione

These amino acids play several vital roles in the function of glutathione and, more broadly, within the body:

Cysteine: This amino acid contains a sulfhydryl (SH) group, which is essential for the powerful antioxidant protection glutathione provides. The SH group can donate an electron to fight free radicals, thereby supporting normal cell function.

Glutamate (Glutamic Acid): This is a precursor of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. It plays a role in the synthesis of glutathione and is critical for supporting cognitive function, helping cope with external stress, and supporting a healthy immune system.

Glycine: This is the smallest amino acid and serves as a building block for proteins. It also plays a role in the synthesis of glutathione and helps maintain normal nervous system function.

Together, these amino acids form glutathione, which provides antioxidant support and plays a crucial role in supporting normal detoxification processes, supporting the immune system, and helping maintain normal cell function. The presence of these amino acids is essential for the synthesis and function of glutathione in the body.

Benefits of Taking Glutathione

Maintaining proper levels of glutathione is necessary to support and promote long-term health. Glutathione enhances organ function and helps maintain the general health of all ages and breeds.

1. Primary Defense Mechanism

Glutathione is vital for supporting healthy waste elimination. When present in high concentrations, it binds to toxins, supporting the metabolic functioning of the liver. This attribute renders it a fundamental component of the body’s primary defense mechanism. As a runner on the front line, glutathione helps with the following:

• Supporting normal bodily functions
• Supporting normal cardiovascular, immune and neurological function

2. Glutathione Supplementation To Promote Immune Health

Glutathione supports a healthy immune system in all animals. This master antioxidant reduces the negative effects of oxidative stress, supporting normal cell function. In addition to reducing oxidative stress, glutathione supports normal blood values, which enhances the immune response. Additional immune health benefits include:

• Promotes the body’s innate resistance to pathogens
• May help protect body cells and tissues

3. How Glutathione Levels Affect Oxidative Stress

Glutathione reduces oxidative stress, a condition characterized by an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. As a potent antioxidant, glutathione scavenges free radicals by donating an electron, thus supporting cellular health.

Glutathione supports normal detoxification, helps maintain normal liver and kidney function, and helps decrease oxidative damage. Additional benefits of glutathione with regard to oxidative stress and oxidative damage include:

• Supports normal cell function
• Supports a normal inflammatory response
• Supports healthy cellular activity

4. Supporting Cognitive Function With Glutathione Supplementation

Glutathione is integral to supporting cognitive function, helping reduce the effects of normally induced environmental stress. It promotes normal, healthy brain activity, which supports normal nerve conduction and memory recall. Glutathione also helps by:

• Helping support normal behavior patterns
• Providing support for the central nervous system
• Supporting normal oxygen utilization by the brain

5. Glutathione To Support Respiratory Health

By promoting healthy inflammatory pathways, glutathione helps support normal respiratory function and health. It’s also known to support the normal integrity and function of the lungs. Although this is beneficial to all dogs, it may be most beneficial to canine athletes. Additionally, glutathione:

• Helps support normal stamina and endurance
• Supports oxygen utilization
• Supports normal recovery time after strenuous activity

6. Promoting Cardiovascular Health With Glutathione Supplements

Glutathione enhances cardiovascular function by reducing free radical formation. Glutathione supports normal heart and vasculature functioning, enhances blood flow, and helps promote normal circulation. Maintaining normal glutathione levels also supports cardiovascular function by:

• Promotes homocysteine regulation
• Supports normal blood pressure
• Supports normal heartbeat

7. Glutathione Supplementation For Digestive Health

By supporting healthy cellular activity, glutathione helps maintain a healthy intestinal tract. Additionally, glutathione supports normal function and the health of the liver, a crucial organ that helps support proper digestion and bowel health.

By supporting the metabolic functioning of the liver, glutathione supports digestion and absorption while helping maintain proper gut flora. As a result, adequate levels of glutathione contribute to:

• Providing nutrients for a healthy body
• Helping support the protective layers of the bowel
• Providing supporting nutrients for the health of aging animals
• Supplying essential minerals and nutrients

8. Glutathione Supplementation To Promote Ocular Health

Glutathione helps maintain ocular integrity and structure, acting to maintain and support normal visual function. This antioxidant is abundantly present in the lens, cornea, retina, and other ocular tissues, where it fights free radicals and promotes long-term ocular health. By maintaining a balance between oxidants and antioxidants, glutathione helps support eye function.

9. Reproductive Health and Glutathione Levels

Glutathione plays a role in helping maintain the optimal function of reproductive processes, supporting healthy cellular activity, and defending against oxidative stress. It promotes homeostasis, helping support reproductive capacity. Since it helps maintain optimal health, it also helps maintain the general health of all ages and breeds, further supporting reproductive health.

10. Maintaining Normal Glutathione Levels For Aging Dogs

As dogs advance in age, their bodies encounter more free radicals, making glutathione a crucial component for aging canines. This master antioxidant is instrumental in helping eliminate free radicals associated with the aging process. It’s often recommended for dogs seven years of age or older to support and maintain proper body functions and an overall good quality of life.

Glutathione supports immune system function, promoting the body’s innate resistance to pathogens. Glutathione’s pivotal role in detoxification helps support liver function, supports normal cleansing of the liver from impurities, and promotes mental and physical health.

By helping maintain a normal inflammatory response, enhancing organ function, and supporting cellular health, glutathione acts as a vital ally in helping maintain optimal health in aging dogs.

If you suspect your dog has a glutathione deficiency, ask your veterinarian how to test for it to determine what their levels are. You can also ask your veterinarian if intravenous glutathione is an option. There are also natural sources of glutathione found in foods such as egg shells and whey protein.

Finding a High Quality Glutathione Supplement

Glutathione supplements support the physical and mental well-being of an animal. Finding a high-quality glutathione supplement is crucial for those looking to enhance their antioxidant support. Here are some steps to help you find a reputable product:

• Lab reports: Ensure there is a third party lab report. A lab report from the company is a red flag in most cases. Third party reports prevent bias in product reviews.
• Ask questions: Any reputable company should be more than willing to answer questions about their product with full transparency.
• Purity: Check for any additional ingredients, such as binders, fillers, or artificial preservatives, that might dilute the purity of the product.
• Natural ingredients: High-quality supplements usually contain natural ingredients with no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or fillers.

Earth Buddy’s Maxx Life Glutathione For Pets

Maxx Life combines Earth Buddy’s liposomal Glutathione Support Complex with aminos that encourage the natural production of glutathione. Immune Support Complex is a blend of vitamin D, Zinc, L-lysine, Quercetin, and organic Elderberry Extract to further increase antioxidant production. Hemp Essence Trinity contains a precise blend of 3 individual full-spectrum Keif trichomes extracts of CBD:CBDa:CBG to activate the pet’s endocannabinoid system.

For further reading, we recommend:

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19143933/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5413479/
• https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-2-2-38
• https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.STR.0000138022.86509.2d
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213231720308983
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048347/
• https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2017.01239/full
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9966841/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15184392/