S2 E5 From Toxins to Telomeres: How Glutathione Shapes the Way We Age

What if one quiet, overlooked peptide could change how you age, think, and move? We dive deep into glutathione—the body’s master antioxidant—and show how it fuels mitochondria, protects your brain, and supports real detox in a world loaded with glyphosate, PFAS, aldehydes, and microplastics. We cut past the buzz to explain why the basics still come first—hormone optimization, nutrition, sleep, training, and stress—and how peptides amplify results only after your foundation is strong.

You’ll hear why oxidative stress is the hidden tax on your daily energy, how glutathione neutralizes free radicals so cells can make ATP, and why brain cells win or lose the most from that exchange. We walk through practical risks tied to pesticides and industrial chemicals, plus emerging links with Parkinson’s and cognitive decline. If you’re navigating family history or exploring genetic signals like ApoE4, we outline a proactive path that includes testing, reducing exposures, and supporting detox pathways—because waiting for symptoms is not a plan.

Delivery matters, too. We compare IV and oral forms to a topical approach using cyclodextrin that reaches higher, more sustained levels and can cross into the brain. Expect clear guidance on dosing rhythms, early benefits like steadier energy and sharper sleep, and what to do if your system protests at first. Then we map how to build your own supply: a protein-forward diet for cysteine and glycine, L‑glutamine to feed glutamate, and the crucial cofactors magnesium, B complex, selenium, and vitamin C. Whether you’re an athlete protecting recovery or a midlife pro aiming to safeguard memory, this is a grounded, actionable blueprint for using glutathione to make every other health habit stick.

If you’re ready to explore peptides with a tailored plan, reach out for a peptide consultation with comprehensive labs and a customized stack. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us.

CHECK US OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO SEE WHAT WE ARE UP TO!
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/NicoleNorrisMD/
INSTAGRAM: Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa (@nicolenorrismd) • Instagram photos and videos

Want to learn more about our concierge preventative medicine programs, longevity medicine services, or fill out an eligibility form?
Longevity Medicine Testing - Nicole Norris MD - Ottawa, IL
GET FIT Get Fit! Weight Management Program | Nicole Norris MD | Peru, IL

GET FAB / GET FIRM HORMONE OPTIMIZATION

Get Fabulous! Hormone Optimization for Women | Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa

Get Firm! Hormone Optimization for Men | Nicole Norris MD Medical Spa

Find a Preventative Medicine Provider NEAR YOU! https://www.directory.worldlinkmedical.com/search_results

Heart Math for balancing the nervous system and reducing emotional stress- HeartMath ...

Transcript

Purpose And Why We Do This

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to the Dr. 50 Something Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Nicole Norris. Whether you are in the midst of midlife or you want to prevent the physical and mental signs of aging that occur in midlife, this is the podcast for you. This is a show where I share my knowledge gleaned in family practice, preventative medicine, and aesthetic medicine to shed light on aging, or better yet, how not to feel or look like you are aging. We should be taking an active role in how we age from an early age. We should not settle with growing old gracefully or letting nature take its course. How we age directly affects our confidence, which impacts all of our relationships with those around us. The length of time in our lives that we feel really good in terms of energy, aches and pains, and thought clarity has a definite impact on the mark we can leave on this world. My wish for my listeners is to always be mistaken for being 50 something or less in mind, action, and appearance. Let's go. You know, I really try not to check the number of listens my podcast gets because that number is really not rewarding to me. It's really not even the number of new longevity patients calling the office that keeps me doing this. My reward comes about six months to a year after a patient has started their longevity journey in my office with hormone optimization. You know, they honestly don't even have to say anything to me. I just know. I can see it in their skin, in the energy in their stride, and how they look in their clothes even. I especially can see it in their labs and how excited they are to see their labs. It's just so fulfilling to me to think that one little podcast can change someone's life and health trajectory forever. I'm a big believer in knowing the why behind your motivation to do something. And I do not love sitting and writing and researching for hours on end to create this podcast, but I really do love how it transforms people into a better and more alive version of themselves. So my why is you. Okay, enough of that. I was having podcast block, so I decided to just start talking, and that's what came out. But what I really want to talk about today are peptides. And more specifically, uh probably I think one of the most important peptides that's made in our body, glutathione. So this is the first podcast that I'm going to talk about peptides. Peptides, yes, everyone has heard that word in the last year, but I would say about 1% or less of the population actually know what they are, what they do, and how to benefit from them. They are amazing little add-ons to your journey to optimal health. In order for peptides to work, you have to have the basics in place, though. Yes, I will nail this into your brain one more time. Hence, hormone optimization, exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. You have to be working on optimizing all of these things, all of these parts of your life before peptides will work for you. So if you are still looking for a magic peptide pill or magic peptide shot for something that you're struggling with, you will be sadly disappointed if you depend on a peptide alone. In my practice, after patients have reached a healthy weight, established healthy habits, and optimized their hormones, the next logical step, of course, is peptides. And the first peptide I like to discuss because everyone can benefit from it is glutathione. Or at least everyone age 35 or over should be on it. And another thing about it is that you actually never have to go off of it. In my opinion, it is the most important peptide. And unfortunately, glutathione depletion is epidemic in our country. So today I'm going to tell you what glutathione is and what it does in our body and why everyone's is low. And then I'm going to tell you the science behind how to replace it. There are a couple of options in terms of replacement. I used to think the only way to get it was IV, but I recently learned at a national conference on longevity that one very smart compounding pharmacist has successfully patented a topical spray that actually gets to higher, more sustained levels in the body than the IV form. Glutathione is a very small peptide made of three amino acids: glutamate, cysteine, and glycine. There are 20 amino acids that make up all peptides. Nine of those amino acids come from our food, mostly animal and plant proteins. Just another reason to eat a protein-focused diet. And our body makes 11 of those 20 amino acids. But when we are stressed or sick, our body may need support getting those 11 that we make in the form of supplementation. The peptide glutathione is only made of three amino acids, and it is the most powerful antioxidant that our body produces. Glutathione is made in our kidneys, and our natural glutathione levels decrease with age. But of course, if you have kidney issues, you definitely don't make enough glutathione, maybe even from an earlier age. There are really just two purposes of glutathione in the body. The first is neutralizing free radicals to reduce that oxidative stress in the cell. And we want to reduce that oxidative stress in the cell so our mitochondria can function better. If our mitochondria are functioning better, this translates into more ATP. ATP is energy that every cell in our body needs. Also, reducing oxidative stress so mitochondria can function better results in telomere lengthening, which was my last two podcasts' main topic. So remember at the very end of my last podcast, uh, the dry erase board image I was trying to get past to you guys. It was really difficult to describe drawing on a dry erase board. So you might want to listen to that again. But for the full circle moment of how glutathione supports mitochondria by decreasing oxidative stress, you can refer back to that description. So ATP equals energy for all of your cells. And ATP is most important for your brain cells. If your mitochondria are under oxidative stress, you cannot produce energy for your body to function as it should. So where does glutathione play a role here? Glutathione essentially neutralizes the bad guys, which are called free radicals and are produced by oxidative stress. So glutathione is the good guy, oxidative stress produces free radicals, those are the bad guys. When the bad guys are neutralized, the mitochondria can produce energy and all is well with the world. This translates into feeling good and having enough energy. The second job of glutathione is to support the liver in its job of detoxifying our bodies. And this day and age, detoxification is a huge job. And the liver needs all the help it can get. Glutathione is the superhero protecting us from all the bad guys slash toxins in our environment as well. None of us can escape from them, so we all need a glutathione superhero. I was telling someone the other day that I think another name for longevity medicine could be proactive medicine. We all need to be proactive in decreasing our toxin exposure and increasing our glutathione in our bodies. The question is, can we really decrease our toxin exposures when they are everywhere? So who are these bad guys? Where exactly are the toxins that deplete our glutathione? I will run down a short list of some of the worst offenders, but I don't have enough time on this podcast to talk about all of them. So not to scare any of you, but one that hits close to home was glyphosphate. I am a farmer's daughter, and growing up, glyphosphate was a household name, aka Roundup. There have been several recent epidemiological studies suggesting living one to three miles from a golf course or being a golfaholic can put you at risk for increased glyphosphate exposures from these chemicals that are used to keep the weeds out of the grass. There are actually some interesting international epidemiologic studies that suggest living in agricultural areas can correlate with higher exposure of glyphosphate and another herbicide called paraquat. And these areas have a higher incidence of Parkinson's and Parkinson's-like disorders. The study actually has one page that has two maps of the United States. One has the estimated agricultural use of paraquat from 2016, which showed all of the red in the Midwest. Then there is another map of the United States with a county-level map of the incidence of Parkinson's disease cases in the US. And interestingly, yep, the two maps, darkest colors, correlate directly of where the highest use of paraquat is and the highest incidence of Parkinson's. Glyphosate and paraquat lower your glutathione dramatically and of course increase oxidative stress. And unfortunately, it happens to be the most affected system of the body, is the brain. And even smells can reduce your glutathione. Think that new car smell or that new carpet smell. The chemical you are breathing in is an aldehyde and is another glutathione enemy. Your kitchen and bathroom can even be enemies to glutathione. PFAS, also known as a forever chemical, are found in all nonstick kitchen products butter wrappers, toilet paper, feminine products, straws, and even women's bras. These forever chemicals have a half-life of seven years. This translates into these glutathione bad guys can stay in your body for 35 to 40 years. And anything that is fire retardant lowers your glutathione. And last but not least are microplastics. Microplastics lower your glutathione and accumulate in your body over time. It is not just warm water bottles, folks. They are even now in chewing gum. A single piece of chewing gum releases 3,000 particles per gram into your mouth when you chew it. Your sports shirts that wick sweat dump 7,000 particles per gram onto your clothes in the washer every time you wash them. And there are even some prescription medications that have the unfortunate side effect of lowering glutathione levels in our body. Metformin, a common medication for diabetes and NSAIDs like ibuprofen, can deplete our glutathione levels. Side note, some longevity experts do like to use metformin for their patients for its many positive benefits on aging. But I don't like the idea of one more thing stealing my glutathione. But if you choose to take metformin or NSAIDs, you definitely need to amp up your glutathione support. I so wish there was some magic bubble that you could hide from all these glutathione thieves, but there is not. And that is why there is an epidemic of glutathione depletion in our country. And really everyone could benefit from supporting their own glutathione levels. So what does glutathione do for me really? Talking about oxidative stress and telomere shortening at the cellular level is sometimes hard for me to wrap my head around too. What are some real-world examples of what not enough glutathione leads to? I've already touched on the brain, so we will start there. Oxidative stress in the cells of the brain increases your risk of Parkinson's and all forms of dementia. When patients are concerned about Alzheimer's or Parkinson's due to family history, they are commonly told by neurologists, come back when things get worse or you have symptoms. There is not much we can do until then. I really don't agree with this. I think you can do some risk stratification and assess patients' toxic exposures and their detox pathways. If they have high risk, they need glutathione support at the least. In our office, we can offer patients a mitochondrial gene test to see what their genetic detox pathways are and how their genes handle oxidative stress. There are also blood tests now to test you for one gene mutation called ApoE4 that, if you have it, increases your risk of Alzheimer's as well as coronary artery disease eight to ten times. Now, these people definitely need to support their glutathione and be on a full court press regimen to reduce their oxidative stress in their brain. Now, low glutathione levels don't always lead to early onset Alzheimer's, but they can just present as a slow, gradual cognitive decline. Your hippocampus in your brain is your memory center. If you have low glutathione, it has been shown your hippocampus shrinks and your memory worsens. Glutathione also improves your immune system, and you can be using glutathione when you are trying to recover from an illness or even a serious illness like cancer. And let me be clear, glutathione does not treat cancer. It does not treat illnesses, but it can support your immune system to be able to get better. Anyone with a chronic inflammatory condition like diabetes, any autoimmune disease, long COVID, arthritis can benefit from glutathione to improve their immune function. Glutathione is also a reservoir for nitrous oxide and extremely important for our arteries and cardiac function. Glutathione has been shown to lower LDL, LPA, which is another cardiac marker, and even lower systolic blood pressure. Some patients who undergo general anesthesia, especially in their later years, will report that right after surgery and for a few weeks to a few months after surgery, they just lack mental clarity. They feel like they've lost it. This is called postoperative cognition dysfunction. Most anesthesia meds lower glutathione levels, so taking glutathione prior to surgery can actually help negate this. And as stated before, glutathione supports our mitochondria who create energy for every cell in our body and in our brains. So if you are a person who complains of fatigue, malaise, exercise intolerance, and you say, I just don't have any energy, but all my labs are normal, quite possibly you could have some mitochondrial dysfunction due to oxidative stress and could benefit from glutathione. That being said, athletes or patients who really push themselves at the gym can also benefit from glutathione support to make sure their mitochondria are functioning at their best when they compete or when they work out. So what about side effects? First of all, most people notice at least something immediately when they go on glutathione. Usually it's good things like more energy, improved sleep. Sometimes patients notice their skin looks better. If you have negative side effects to glutathione supplementation, they're usually GI side effects like loose stools, and they typically don't last that long. Now, I've been told if you have this negative side effect when you start glutathione, it could be that you have a high toxic load. So now that you know how important glutathione support is, how should you get it? IV, oral, topical, liposomal, which is best? Boy, I'm glad you asked. First of all, the half-life of IV glutathione is nine minutes. This means it is completely eliminated by the body in 45 minutes, give or take. So you just spent money on an IV glutathione infusion and you got 8,000 microplastics infused in your body from the IV tubing. Second of all, neither glutathione by mouth or IV glutathione cross into the brain, and so you honestly didn't get the positive brain function benefits. So to me, IV glutathione and oral glutathione are not the way to go. I personally recommend topical glutathione to my patients with cyclodextrin. Cyclodextrin is a pharmaceutical delivery agent that helps it get absorbed really well. So I use a spray-on version of glutathione with cyclodextrin. After I brush my teeth morning and night, I spray four sprays on my abdomen. You want to spray it on a non-hairy area of your body and then rub it in for best absorption. I probably rub it in 10 times. It gets completely absorbed from the skin in about 45 minutes and it stays in the body working for four hours. With this delivery system, it does cross into the brain from the skin. So this is what I recommend first to get your levels up. Once you have completed at least two months, I can help patients then assess their toxic exposure and their oxidative stress. If it is still high, they potentially should consider staying on topical glutathione. If they decide to trial off and see how they feel, then I always recommend supporting your body's own production of glutathione by making sure your diet is protein focused so you can get enough of those amino acids, cysteine and glycine. So remember, cysteine, glycine, and glutamate are the three essential amino acids that make up glutathione. Glutamate cannot be directly ingested. You actually need another amino acid called L-glutamine in your diet as well. L-glutamine converts to glutamate and then combines with cysteine and glycine to make glutathione in the kidneys. L-glutamine is your most abundant amino acid and is important for not only glutathione production, but also supports growth hormone production, decreases brain inflammation, and is essential for the lining of your gut. So patients who are not supplementing with glutathione itself should definitely consider supplementing with L-glutamine. The adult dose of L-glutamine is 5 to 10 grams daily. In my office, we use designs for health L-glutamine, which is 3 grams per scoop. It dissolves easily in any liquid. Okay, to add one more layer to this, all the glutathione production pathways in the kidneys also require key cofactors for synthesis of glutathione, including magnesium, B vitamins, selenium, and vitamin C. So if you are getting 80 to 100 grams of protein a day in your protein-focused diet, your pillbox includes magnesium glycinate, B complex, selenium, and vitamin C, and you are throwing two scoops of L-glutamine in your smoothie every morning, you are likely good on relying on your own glutathione production in your kidneys. If you're not already doing these things, then maybe you just need four sprays twice a day. Okay, I must tell you that you know you have a real genuine glutathione cyclohextrin compounded peptide. If one, you smell like Old Faithful after your four sprays, and two, after you rub it in, it feels tacky. Honestly, the sulfur smell fades quickly and the tacky never bothers me. But if it does, a trick is to put a little moisturizer over the area you rubbed in the glutathione and all that goes away. Glutathione is not a sexy peptide on social media like BPC 157 and GHK copper or the growth hormone analogs. But boy, it is a very important one as we age. No one wants to lose their ability to think and remember and have movement disorders. Everything else you do will not make a difference if you don't have enough glutathione to detox your body from the many toxins in our environment. Also remember that when you are stressed or ill, you need to support your glutathione levels more than when you are not. So if you want to start exploring peptides and see if they are right for where you are in your health optimization journey, you can reach out to my office through our website. We offer peptide consultations that include comprehensive labs, medical history, symptom history, and then a customized plan or peptide stack as it is referred to. A stack is essentially a three to six month treatment plan of how to start each peptide and when to end each peptide based on your health goals. And now, since you are thoroughly educated and it is probably now on your to-do list, glutathione can be the first one in your peptide stack. Thank you for joining this episode of the Dr. 50 Something Show. If you are intrigued by this show and never want to miss an episode, click follow. If you are a really great friend, share it. The content of this episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider to answer any questions you may have about your personal medical conditions. Until next time, get fit. Get fabulous, get firm, and take care of yourself.