Who Discovered Glutathione
Glutathione is an important tripeptide (a peptide is molecules of amino acids linked by peptide bonds) that is found in animal and plant tissues as well as blood. It is an important part of cellular respiration in both plants and animals. It is an antioxidant, which are important for heath because they protect against oxidative stress. Antioxidants do this by neutralizing free radicals and reactive oxygen compounds. It is also known to activate some enzymes. It has many other important functions in the body and is considered to be essential to good health. Glutathione is produced in the body and it is for this reason that it is not considered to be an essential nutrient (you don’t need to get it from your food). If you are wondering who discovered this amazing substance, read on to find out.
Who discovered glutathione
Glutathione was discovered in 1888 by J. de-Rey-Pailhaide. He discovered the substance while studying the human eyeball (a healthy eyeball is high in glutathione). It was originally known as philothione (latin for sulfur loving) because of how it reacted to sulfur. It wasn’t until 1921 that its structures and metabolism discovered by F. Gowland Hopkins who renamed it glutathione. Amazingly, glutathione was virtually forgotten about for 40 years, until it received widespread attention in the 1980’s. Today it is being studied for a variety of different reasons, including its impact on cancer development and treatment.
Not many people take glutathione supplements because it is poorly absorbed by the digestive system. However, it has been found the Vitamin D increases glutathione production. Interestingly, studies have shown that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are associated with low glutathione levels. There is no doubt that more will be discovered in the future about how this substance affects human health.
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