Are Glutathione Supplements a Scam?
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- TikTok promotes glutathione strips as a quick way to reduce inflammation, boost immunity, increase energy, and improve skin, claiming the strips allow direct absorption into the bloodstream.
- Glutathione, a peptide known as a powerful antioxidant, is available in various supplement forms, but the effectiveness of over-the-counter products lacks strong scientific support.
- Medical use of glutathione under physician supervision can help in specific cases like acetaminophen overdose and HIV symptoms, but unsupervised high doses may potentially promote cancer cell growth.
- Experts caution that while some wellness enthusiasts believe glutathione supplements are harmless if ineffective, there is a risk they could actually cause harm.
- Glutathione is naturally produced in the liver and protects cells from oxidative stress, but more research is needed to validate the broad health claims made by supplement marketers.
