An Immunologist Says This Is The Most Underrated Antioxidant Of Them All 

With antioxidants, it's pretty difficult to play favorites. Each impressive bioactive helps squelch free radicals and modulate oxidative stress, which has numerous benefits for full-body health (your skin, your brain function, your longevity, and the list goes on).* Antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E are quite popular in these conversations, as are up-and-comers like quercetin. But according to allergist and immunologist Heather Moday, M.D., we shouldn't forget about the less obvious players. 

Moday isn't the only expert to sing the praises of glutathione. In fact, this one-of-a-kind bioactive has been called "the master antioxidant1," the "mother of all antioxidants," and the "maestro of your immune system" by researchers and doctors alike. 

Its main gig is to support detoxification: "Glutathione is a very simple molecule produced naturally from three amino acids: cysteine, glycine, and glutamine,"* functional medicine doctor and mbg Collective member Mark Hyman, M.D., previously writes for mbg. "Its sulfur chemical groups provide glutathione's benefits. Sulfur is a sticky, smelly molecule that acts like flypaper. All the bad things in your body stick onto it, including free radicals and toxins like mercury and other heavy metals."* 

Glutathione is also essential for immune function: Research2 suggests that glutathione helps "fine-tune" our immune response, and it even helps support the production of various cells that are essential for immunity3.* On a similar note: "It's very powerful in the lungs," says Moday. Studies have shown glutathione's benefits for healthy lung function4, thanks to its ability to fend off free radicals and regulate oxidative stress.*