Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

L-glutathione has been investigated as a potential supportive therapy in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) due to its role as a key antioxidant in the brain. Parkinson’s Disease is associated with oxidative stress and depletion of glutathione in the substantia nigra, a brain region critical for movement. Several small clinical trials and pilot studies have explored whether supplementing with glutathione can help alleviate symptoms or slow disease progression.

Some early open-label and pilot studies suggested that intravenous glutathione might temporarily improve symptoms in PD patients. For example, a 1996 study by Sechi et al. reported mild symptomatic improvement with intravenous glutathione. However, these studies were small and lacked rigorous controls. More recent, larger randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown mixed results, with some failing to demonstrate significant clinical benefits over placebo. Oral glutathione is less studied and may be less bioavailable due to breakdown in the digestive tract.

Overall, while there is a plausible biological rationale and some limited preliminary evidence for glutathione’s use in PD, the current scientific evidence is insufficient to recommend it as a standard therapy. Most guidelines do not endorse glutathione supplementation for Parkinson’s Disease outside of clinical trials. More high-quality, large-scale RCTs are needed to clarify its efficacy and safety.

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